Road to Kingdom (Private flashback)

Ryuko approached the tower she had once lived at with trepidation. She was fresh from a meeting with Nariko and for some reason her skin looked extra pale as if she had just been through a great shock. Considering what they’d been talking about that was pretty much the case.

Of the top 5 lines she never expected to hear in her life, being offered to become the next Raikage had to rank near the top of the list. She had long underviewed herself thinking that she was nothing more than a mere supporting role in a grander play. There were a lot of complex reasons behind that, not the least of them being that she was a Vestal. Her role was literally to be an advisor and attendant to the Raikage not to become the Raikage herself.

To say that made the political situation in this country messy was an understatement. Ryuko was one of the top dogs in the Divine Church of Hakkin, the membership of which made for a significant chunk of the land of lightning citizens. While she’d been asleep for the last two years they’d apparently been spreading in the land of frost as well and were now eyeing the land of hot-springs for potential expansion.

Dealing with the Daimyo might be messy since Ryuko would now hold two of the three levers of power while he only had the remaining one in his grasp. Usually a Kage had to ask their Daimyo permission to do a lot of things but privately she was wondering why she’d have to bother listening to an old man who barely did anything.

It wasn’t like the current Daimyo was a bad one presay. It was more that he lacked any kind of vision and was content to let the status quo remain where it was. Ryuko wanted to revolutionize this country and make it a better place. If he was going to get in the way of that she would be forced to do something about it, but hopefully things wouldn’t get to that point.

Now thought her thoughts were on another matter. Mainly how to break the news to her best friend Shimiko who she had thought for sure would be a shoe in for the role. After all when it came to a fight Shimiko was clearly the stronger of the two of them, at least for now while Ryuko’s gear wasn’t finished construction and while she had yet to master Rafaela.

As the Anbu commander and the person who would effectively be acting as her second in command from now on, the priestess felt that it would be best to get her friend's blessing before she officially assumed the role once everything behind the scene necessary for transition was finished.

Going into the tower Ryuko was mildly surprised when her key card to the private elevator to the penthouse still worked. As an aristocrat she had several residents where she could stay including her family manners in the village and the second floor of her shop the best defence but her room at the top of the tower had been her favourite as of late before her recent coma threw everything askew.

She’d been asleep for so long she’d half expected them to revoke her security clearance but then considering she’d walked back into the administration offices without anyone so much as batting an eye it might have just been par for the course. Given her rather unique accent, high end clothes and the graceful way she moved it would have been extremely difficult for anyone to successfully impersonate her for long.

“Shi-chan are you there? I need to speak with you.” Announced Ryuko after arriving at the penthouse suite and then rapped on the door with the back of her gloved hand. Hopefully her friend would be home so that she wouldn’t have to waste time tracking her down. Sometimes it sucked not being a sensor type.

[1]

Shimiko perked up when she heard a knock on the door and the voice of her favorite half German.

"Yeah! Coooooming!" she called out

The Chinoike had been at the kitchen's breakfast nook fixing the twins' lunches for tomorrow. She acrobatically leapt over the counter and skidded across the beautiful marble floor towards the door. She was wearing a black tank-top with the phrase MURDER-KILL emblazoned on its front in pink, a pair of home shorts, and black socks pulled up to her knees. She also had a checkered cardigan shirt wrapped around her waist in a manner popular with teenagers. She may have been the Twins' foster mother for over two years now but she had no intention of losing her youthful touch. It was clear by her dress that Shimiko felt right at home.

She answered the door and didn't even wait for Ryuko to respond before hugging her friend. Shimiko was thrilled that Ryuko was alive and well. She had expended all of her water-works back at the training grounds so there was no need for tears at the present moment. Nevertheless, she found herself appreciating Ryuko's presence far more than she had before the Priestess's unfortunate coma.  

Once the hug had been completed, she waved Ryuko into the Penthouse Suite gesturing for her guest to follow. The area was spacious and luxurious. She led Ryuko back over to the breakfast area where there'd be a row of chairs for the girl to hop up on and sit. Shimiko had always been slightly taller than Ryuko but since that fateful day, she'd outpaced her friend even more. Shimiko walked around to the other side of the breakfast counter and continued to prepare the Twins' snack.

"So what's on your mind Ryu-chan?" she said with a smile. It was at that moment that Shimiko looked and saw how pale Ryuko was. She stopped what she was doing and immediately called that when Ryuko asked for her, her voice betrayed a less than stellar mood. She silently cursed herself for being so inattentive to her friend's emotions. She had been so excited to see have Ryuko over as a guest that she hadn't even considered why the girl had shown up at her place of residence. Shimiko had remodeled the Tower and moved her family in, but in doing so did she somehow offend her fellow Thundercat?

No. That couldn't be it. Ryuko was rich enough to buy Shimiko Tower twenty times over. She wouldn't rue losing her room in the penthouse. That's when another dire possibility crossed her mind.

"Everything's fine right?" she asked in an optimistic tone somehow fraught with worry. She couldn't handle any seriously bad news regarding Ryuko's health. Not again.

Ryuko blinked rapidly when Shimiko opened the door.  She wasn’t used to seeing her friend dressed so casually.  Well it was her own home so it made sense but did she really have to wear something so visceral?  It was enough of a distraction that for once Shimiko managed to hug her first instead of the other way around.

Finding her face pressed into her friend's chest the priestess felt a profound sense of loss.  It seemed like just yesterday Shimiko had just been slightly taller than her.  It was like she had shrunk overnight when the truth was that her friend had simply grown over the last two years while Ryuko herself had remained stagnant.   It almost felt like their respective sizes were  a metaphor for the gap in power between them.

Back at the Jounin world tournament Ryuko knew she would have had to go all out holding nothing back if she was going to stand a chance against her friend in a serious match.  How much stronger had Shimiko become since then while Ryuko remained virtually the same?    Should someone like her really become the next Raikage when she wasn’t the strongest in the village?

Maybe if she could master the power inside her she could bridge the gap but that almost felt like cheating since it wasn’t her own power.  To make matters worse she wouldn’t be able to claim it without significant help from Shimiko’s end.   If she could only bring up to three people with her it only made sense to grab the strongest she could get.

“Are you really going to rely on a heathen like her?” asked Rafaela, sounding more than a little dubious about the prospect.   The Jashin religion had been a huge thorn in her side back when she’d been alive however many centuries ago and it seemed she was still holding a bit of grudge.

“I don’t see the problem, aren’t you the one that said to be tolerant about other’s beliefs?” asked Ryuko to which she was met with deafening silence.  She could practically feel Rafaela sulking at being so decisively countered with her own words.   Letting her friend lead her into the dinning area Ryuko took the seat she’d been offered, feeling relieved at the hospitality that was being shown to her.  Considering the timing she must have been intruding since Shimiko had been in the middle of cooking a meal.  Having to make extra portions for someone you weren't expecting had to be a big inconvenience.

“I’m sorry for imposing  Shi-chan.” Ryuko said apologetically as her stomach let out a light gurling sound. Come to think of it, when was the last time she’d eaten since she’d woken up?   She’d spent so much time sorting out the paperwork and then shaking off the rust at the training field that it had simply slipped her mind.   It seemed that while she’d taken leave of her humanity she still needed neutrants at least occasionally.

“What I’m about to tell you is beyond classified.  Is this room secure? The kids aren’t here are they?” Ryuko asked, looking around nervously. It was hard to imagine that someone had managed to bug the penthouse but anything was possible.  

It was ironic how she hadn’t given a hoot about saying some rather inappropriate things about being in love with an enemy combatant in front of the twins only to be worried about keeping secrets from them now, not that she could remember the events of that day.  Her mind had subconsciously buried them to avoid some major psychological damage.

“I’m not sure, I suppose that depends on your definition of fine.” Ryuko replied to Shimiko’s question flashing her a wan smile to try and reassure her that she wasn’t about to end up back in the hospital.  Were things really ok when it felt like the weight of the world had suddenly been trust on her shoulders?  

[2]

"Don't apologize! You're always welcome here. My house is your house...and I mean that literally. I..." she wanted to launch into an explanation of why she had given Ryuko's rooms to the twins but just talking about it was awkward and sad. She started again. "I'll have another floor added in and several rooms furnished for you and Nats. It might have my name but I consider this place yours just as much as it is mine." Shimiko picked up on the soft gurgle of her friend's stomach. Ryuko didn't even need to ask Shimiko to make her food. The Chinoike began fixing her friend a plate right away. She had been making medium-rare ribeye sandwiches for her darlings. It was a fairly heavy afternoon snack but Yui and Yua tended to work up a big appetite after choir practice at the Jashinist Church. She originally planned to make something for herself but she couldn't eat while her friend was so hungry. Ryuko needed the sustenance more than she did and so before the Priestess knew it, Shimiko would slide a plate in front of her friend. The meal would be akin to this this except the beef was sliced into thicker strips. It was a bit more sophistcated fare than what she had been making for the Twins. Shimiko's palate was a bit more refined than just sandwiches and she figured Ryuko's would be too.

"Eat" she said. More of a command than an offer.

When Ryuko mentioned that what she was about to tell her was beyond classified, Shimiko grew still. She placed both hands on the kitchen counter and leaned forward. Despite her casual outfit, she was all business now. Her deep blue-greenish eyes had a look of determination and severity. She steeled herself for the worst of possibilities. Ryuko said that the answer to her question depended on the definition of "fine". The smile was somewhat re-assuring but not very.

"This is one of the most secure buildings in the city I've checked it personally myself....and Twins won't be back for another hour at least, they're at Church. What's the situation?" she asked.

Shimiko Tower was the third most secure building in Kumogakure. The first was the Defense Coordination Center which housed rooms worth of sensitive information. The second was the Raikage Complex which was where the leader of the village worked and occasionally slept. Shimiko Tower was where the village's ANBU Captain resided. This made her a target of potential espionage and assasination. The latter was a suicide mission for anyone weaker than Akihiro Uchiha and Nozomi Himitsu. The former could be countered with sufficient counter-surveillance protocols. These protocols had been put in place the moment she made the penthouse her primary residence. She occasionally worked from home so she was certain that she could trust her own walls. No one would be over-hearing this conversation.

The fact that Ryuko's health didn't seem in jeopardy was good, but the way her friend was talking was worrying her.

Hearing Shimiko say that her home was Ryuko’s home brought a great sense of relief to the priestess and it showed on her face. Maybe just maybe her room had been left intact. She could see it now in her mind’s eye. She’d walk right in and there wouldn’t be so much as a speck of dust inside.

It hadn’t been long since she’d woken up but she’d found that she was having a very hard time getting a good sleep. Partly because she was afraid she was going to shut her eyes and fall into a coma again never to wake up this time, and partly because she’d been plagued by nightmares. It was silly but maybe getting her favorite bed back complete with the plush turtle Natsuru had given her as a christmas gift a few years ago might help.

“Another floor?” asked Ryuko blinking in confusion. The tower had been built with a bunch of rooms already several of which had remained empty for expansion purposes in the future. Adding onto it further seemed just excessive. “In any case you needn’t bother on my account. If my room’s no longer available tis not like I had nowhere else to stay. I’ll be happy so long as I can collect my things. You did keep those in storage somewhere, yes?” asked Ryuko feeling assured there was no way that her friend would have tossed out her possessions while she was still alive.

“Besides given the nature of what I came to discuss, I don’t think living together long term would be a wise idea.” Ryuko said refully. More than likely she was going to have to clean out her room. That said she wasn’t opposed to the idea of keeping it for the occasional sleep over. Simply put have both the number one and number two together too often would be very bad for the chain of command if the worst were to happen.

They might be two of the toughest women in the world but they were still more vulnerable when they slept. If someone tried to do something nuts like blowing up the tower in the dead of the night she’d have a heck of harder time dealing with it simply because her armor wouldn’t be on. It was one thing roughing it when you were out in the field but who the heck slept in full gear when they were in their own home?

“Much obliged” said Ryuko as a way of thanks as Shimiko placed the plate in front of her. She was still a bit embarrassed that her tummy grumblign had given her away but it would be rude to overlook her friend’s kindness and refuse especially when she was so hungry. Taking a fork the priestess began shoveling the thin strips of beef into her mouth as fast as she could chew.

Normally she ate with refined manners but right now she was too hungry to care about that too much especially when it was just the two of them. Around just about anyone else she would have forced herself to eat at a more moderate pace but around her family she felt secure enough to let her hair down just a bit.

“Wow you’ve really outdone yourself Shimiko! This is delicious” she complemented between bites. It was good enough it could have been served at Ayano’s restaurant. The only person who could top this level of cusinese that came to mind was Niko but it was hardly fair to compare the two. The blacksmith’s baking skill was on another level and could practically be considered x-rank.

The priestess began a wired alternation between wolfing down her food and stopping to savor the flavor every few seconds and before she knew it her plate had practically been licked clean. Not that she actually had licked it. She was a proper lady after all and that would be going too far even for family mode.

Breathing a sigh of relief that they were secure and that the kids wouldn’t be interrupting them at least Ryuko put aside her plate while wondering internally where to begin. She didn’t want to get straight to the point but she could see the concern on her friend’s face and knew better than to keep her waiting in suspension for long.

“Are you aware of how… tight the village's finances have been as of late?” Ryuko asked. Shimiko was amazing when it came to battles but it was questionable how much she had to do with the village’s day to day paperwork. Everyone had a place where their abilities shined best and being behind a desk too often would have been a waste of Shimiko’s talents as a battlefield commander and diplomat.

“To make a long story short Nariko say how well I’d done at turning that around while she was away at the chunnin exam and offered to make me the next Raikage.” Ryuko said while she was unable to look Shimiko directly in the eyes anymore out of sheer guilt. Her friend was the second in command of the military and as the sister of a former Raikage was the most logical next in line for the post. Seeing her skipped over like this just didn’t sit right with the Priestess.

“To be honest I couldn’t have fixed things nearly half as well as I did if you hadn’t liberated the land of Hot springs and taken it under your wing. That gave me a lot more financial leverage to work with. I feel like Nariko’s giving me far more credit than I deserve.” continued the priestess sullenly.

[3]

Ryuko politely declined her offer to move into Shimiko Tower. This wasn't surprising, as the Priestess was wealthy enough to have her own space. She didn't need to depend on the charity of others for a roof over her head. She asked if Shimiko had kept her things in storage to which there was a furious nod causing pigtails to bounce up and down.

"Of course! I've kept all your possessions in storage in this very building" Shimiko wouldn't dream of tossing out her beloved friend's personal effects. Even if Ryuko never woke up from her coma, she had planned on giving her things to her parents or next of kin. She'd never toss them out like common trash. Never.

When Ryuko said that living together would be made even more difficult given what she was about to tell Shimiko, the blonde was even more puzzled. The anxiety was killing her. She had to stop herself from grabbing Ryuko and shaking the information out of her. What the hell could this secret be? Was Ryuko getting married? She stewed silently as Ryuko gobbled up the meal she had provided her. She didn't want to rush the girl, but the suspense was maddening.

Shimiko smiled at the compliment and nodded. "When you got two hungry little ones to feed, you learn a thing or two in the kitchen" At long last, Ryuko began to speak on the sensitive subject.

"I am" Shimiko stated. Nariko had left the village for the Chuunin Exams at Shimiko's request. She needed to be the one to sort out the Jashinist mess and the best way to do it was if she was acting Kage. Not long after taking the job, Shimiko quickly discovered that several aspects of the country's economy was in arrears. She had been drowning in the administrative work until Ryuko had arrived. She had her reservations about the Vestal returning to her administrative duties so soon after recovering, but she knew there'd be no point in even trying to stop Ryuko. A Thundercat never rests for too long.

What Ryuko said next was an absolute bombshell.

Shimiko blinked a few times unsure if what she heard was accurate. She gave a deadpan stare at Ryuko as she considered what was just said. Nariko had selected her successor and she had been passed over. Shimiko had long expected this. Ironically, the subject had come up during a BBQ hosted by Shimiko at this very location. Even though Shimiko was Nariko's sole surviving student and one of the strongest ninja in the world, making her Raikage was politically infeasible. It'd be tantamount to conceding the country to Jashinism. Shimiko knew her mentor would never do such a thing and she wouldn't force her to. Additionally, being Kage wasn't exactly a job that she was interested in at the moment. Sure, her older brother had held the title but right now, she preferred the adventure of being a member of ANBU Black Ops. That said, the fact that Nariko had passed her over still stung. It wasn't the job itself that mattered, it was the principe.

Nariko hadn't even asked for Shimiko's blessing. She hadn't been consulted at all. That was what annoyed Shimiko the most. Finally, her sensei's reasoning was specious at best.  

“I feel like Nariko’s giving me far more credit than I deserve.”
She kinda is. Shimiko thought to herself with annoyance.

She could tell Ryuko was feeling a bit uncomfortable about the situation so she wouldn't dare say that out loud. Unfortunately, her annoyance and surprise wasn't so easily hidden. The contours of her face shifted and they went from being warm and open to being agitated.

"Oh. Oh." She finally said in response. "Congratulations."

She took the plate from Ryuko and placed it in the sink. Normally, she'd save doing the dishes for later but by doing them now she wouldn't need to look at the newly minted Raikage. She rinsed the plate, got some soap, and started to clean it. As she did this, her back was turned to Ryuko. She spoke in an even tempered tone without even looking at the girl.

"I just wish Nariko-sensei would have consulted me on the matter. I was acting Kage while she was away until you returned to us. I don't mind, I really don't. But you only just got out of your coma and I don't want to jeopardize your recovery or stress you out. The plague is no joke and people say that it can re-occur even after you've beaten it once. I don't know when Nariko made the decision but I wish I was there when she did...."

She tried to be as fair and diplomatic about it as possible but there was no mistaking the tension in her voice. Shimiko was not happy.

Ryuko could feel herself breathing a sigh of relief as the person who might as well be her sister told her that her things were still safe in storage.    She couldn’t wait to transfer them over to her new place, well once she knew where she was actually going to be staying long term that is.  

So far she’d been crashing at her store but her old family mansion  was fairly modest by nobel standards and nowhere near secure enough for a Raikage to be staying at.  As annoying as it was she was going to have a new residence built since it wasn’t like she could evict Nariko out of her current one.

She couldn’t help but wonder what Shimiko would have done with her possession if she’d actually passed away but that was a topic that was too morbid to possibly bring up.  The mood was bad enough without dampening it any further with speculation on what ifs and could have beens.

She could tell her friend was feeling suspenseful and if she’d know what Shimiko was thinking of the possibilities of what the news might be Ryuko might have spat some of the food out in shock.  The one about marriage in particular would have gotten quite the reaction since who the heck would Ryuko be getting married too?  She’d sure have had to move fast given how short the time had been since she’d woken from her coma.

It was a bit of a sore topic for her, the loneliness she felt from not having a proper partner at her age felt crushing at times.  In a way she was a paragon of a vestal married to her job but that didn’t make the longing for someone to hold her any less visceral.

Ryuko tilted her head in confusion at the number Shimko had just given out which didn’t quite sound right.  She said she had two to feed but then what about Miyu?  The Twins had told Ryuko that Shimiko had adapted her as well and the priestess had been looking forward to meeting this new member of her rather extended family but maybe they weren’t living together for some reason that she hadn’t been told about.

"She likely sacrificed the poor child in one of her sick blood rituals." commented Rafaela in the priestess's head dryly. That line was enough to make Ryuko cringe. Their was no way the Shimiko she knew would ever do such a thing but it seemed like the first vestal hated Jashiniest so much that she was ready to believe the worst in them at the drop of a dime.

The priestess hadn’t even finished telling Shimko her knews and she could tell by the look on her friend’s face that the other girl was not happy about what she was hearing. Being passed over even if she didn’t really want the job in the first place must have really stung.   It was just like she’d been dreading all along.

“Actually just to be clear nothing is official yet, which is why we need to be so hush hush.  Nariko specifically asked me to get your blessings on this while she speaks with the Daimyo.  If either of you say no then the transition won’t go though.” explained Ryuko hastily trying to smooth things over.

“One particular troublesome matter is my status as a Vestal.  Placing me as the Raikage would be seen as a tacit approval of the Church of Hakkin at the state level.  IF…” Ryuko said, making sure to emphasize that word.

“...I become Raikage I intend to issue a proclamation that we will publicly recognize all religions that wish to officially register, provided that they comply with the laws.”   what she was saying now was huge,  as she was essentially giving up the chance for her religion to have an exclusive hold on the country.

“We must not have a repeat of the recent civil war.  Please tell me Shi-chan, is there any other ways in which to mend relations with the Jashinist?”   she asked sincerely.  If there was even a chance her taking power was going to spark another war then she wanted no part in becoming the 4th Raikage.

Being as smart as she was Ryuko was already writing up potential speeches in her head for when the ceremony would take place.  Having someone to bounce them off inside of her was a real help as Rafaela had been a master orator back in her day.  Speaking of which, that was another topic she needed to speak to Shimiko about.

“Actually about my coma, funny story but tis not the plague that I was infected with or any other malady.”  said Ryuko dropping yet another unbelievable piece of information.  At the rate she was going it was a wonder what the most absurd thing would come out of her mouth at this point.  She could probably say something like ‘I’m actually straight’ and it sound more easy to swallow.

"Don't make me sound like some disease!"  exclaimed Rafaela furiously.  But she kind of deserved that one as payback for the crap she'd been giving Shimiko earlier so Ryuko wasn't exactly feeling too guilty for getting her riled up like that even if it hadn't been intentional.

“Have you ever heard of the first vestal the founder of my religion?”   Ryuko asked knowing that bringing that up now of all times out of the blue must have made her seem like she was going a little loopy.   As part of her job as a vestal she’d actually studied other religions at least a little bit but her understanding of Jashinisum was relatively surface level at best.   She couldn’t really expect Shimiko to know such a deep cut from a religion that wasn’t the twintails own when she couldn’t answer the question if their positions were reversed.

Just as she was about to explain more about where the heck she was trying to go with this strange line of conversation a loud knock came from the main door.  Who could it be now?   Not just anyone could access this floor that easily and it couldn’t be the twins since they lived here and wouldn’t bother knocking.  Could Nariko have finished up her conversation with the Daimyo early and come to see how breaking the news to Shimiko was going?

[4]

Ryuko was quick to specify that the official transfer of power had yet to occur. She stated that if either Shimiko or the Daimyou vetoed the move it wouldn't happen. This didn't particularly make Shimiko feel better because she knew that Nariko considered the Daimyou's word to be more or less a pile of goat dung. If Shimiko's word was as important as his then she could only assume that the Raikage would press forward with naming Ryuko as her successor. Shimiko had always suspected that Nariko favored Ryuko over her and Natsuru. The feeling didn't really bother her back when she was a genin but now that she was older and had spent years under the woman's tutelage, it stung her like a bee.

Fortunately, Shimiko wasn't going to let a petty slight destroy her relationships with those she loved. In her heart, she knew that Ryuko was the best woman for the job. This Chinoike was too skilled an ANBU Captain to relinquish her duties to the relatively new Seid. She also didn't have the aptitude for governance that Ryuko did. In the few months she was acting Kage, she had been drowning in paperwork and was totally lost on dealing with the politics of the position. ANBU only knew and respected force but that language was lost when it came to dealing with Lords and Ladies. They required a gentler touch and honeyed words. Shimiko could deliver the latter but the former usually called for a level of character insight she simply did not possess. There was of course the issue of her being a Jashinist. Shimiko loved her Country and she loved her Church but at this stage in history if they were to take over then the entire nation would be drenched in blood. She couldn't let that happen. She knew Nariko was also a believer in meritocracy. She knew that Ryuko was capable, that was why as a mere genin she was named Secretary to the Raikage. Ryuko's family was also well-versed in the art of statecraft. Just as Shimiko's family had excelled in combat and Natsuru's business, Ryuko's lineage was all about politics. The decision made sense from every angle and though her heart said No, Shimiko's head said Yes.

That wasn't the end of the discussion though. Just as how Shimiko's faith as a Jashinist would complicate her serving as Kage, the same was true for Ryuko. The Church of Hakkin was less controversial but it still was a faction not controlled by the State. Ryuko's status as a Vestal might be taken as a takeover. Lady Superior Mora would not be happy about that.... Ryuko informed Shimiko of her plan to treat all religions equally even if she was beholden to Hakkin personally. It was more or less a continuation of Nariko's policy which was good.

When it came to mending things with the Church though. That was an entirely different matter. Shimiko knew that Mora would keep pushing until the Orthodoxy owned the State. There was no negotiating there. She had offered to broker a series of concessions that would hopefully keep the peace but with this sudden change in power, Shimiko wasn't sure. She did know that she could trust Ryuko more than any other candidate but that didn't mean that she wasn't in a tough position. Shimiko finished washing the dish and placed it on a rack to dry. The girl walked over to the Priestess and placed a hand on Ryuko's shoulder. She swallowed her pride and spoke with a bright smile.

"...You have my blessing Ryuko. If you think you can handle it then by all means it would be an honor to serve you, Yondaime Raikage" Shimiko took a pause on the issue regarding the Church. "Well, with respect to the Orthodoxy....Lady Superior Mora did have some requests that she wanted Nariko to honor. Its the price of peace so to speak....As Jashinists our relationship with the State is more complicated than with most other religions and Mora wants the Raikage to respect that. Whoever it may be. I can give you a detailed rundown a bit later. For now as long as you keep the status quo I don't think there will be any complaints from the Orthodoxy. But soon...probably after your coronation we will need to talk about the Church and what they need to truly serve the village" Shimiko really didn't want to spoil the moment with her demands. This wasn't the time or the place. She put it off for another day.

Ryuko then went on to speak about the matter of her coma. She told Shimiko that it wasn't from the plague but rather something else. This caused Shimiko to look at her friend in confusion and surprise. She withdrew her hand and took a step back unsure of how to process that information. Ryuko's next question made her realize that whatever had happened was a product of her religion. This made Shimiko angry. She knitted her brow and thought: No, I don't read apostasy. It was a disrepectful thing to say but she tempered her words with something less insulting.

"I haven't given it any serious study no" Shimiko despised the religion even though she loved her sister. Apparently the feeling was mutual given Rafaela's statements concerned her. "If this religion made you fall into a coma though then....maybe its not the best religion to be apart of" she said diplomatically. She had more to say but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Shimiko held up her hand and listened for any dangerous sounds. Her Shimi-senses didn't detect imminent danger so she walked over to the door and opened it. She placed a hand on her hip and looked at whoever it was and said:

"Yes?"

Whoever was doing the knocking knew who she was and what she was about.

From the very beginning the next Raikage was most likely to be chosen from among the current one’s students.   If one was picking based only on sheer power then Shimiko made the most logical choice by a mile at the moment as pound for pound she was easily the strongest of the Thundercats, at least for the moment anyhow.   Ryuko might have the potential to gain some ground on her if the priestess could fully unlock Rafaela’s power but she’d been chosen by Nariko who knew nothing in that regard.

That said there was more to being a leader then simply raw power.  A kage that was nothing but a blunt instrument might be great during wartime but be disastrous in the long term because they wouldn’t be able to negotiate with other nations properly.  That sort of thing would only lead to more resentment and more war, more death and destruction.

Shimiko was far from being that blunt but she was on the more belligerent side.  She was practically royalty in a way but had lead a simpler life and wasn’t used to having to hobnob among high society the way Ryuko had been trained to do ever since the priestess had been born.

Conversely Natsuru could hobnob with the best of them but her attitude left a lot to be desired.  She was so cold and prickly to others to an extent that was extremely off putting to most strangers.   It took a lot to get her to warm up to you and if you weren’t used to her things could go sour quickly.   Ryuko still remembered the time she’d come out of the closet to Natsuru and how brutally her friend had handled the situation.   To put it bluntly her friend’s tactlessness was nearly legendary.

That and out of the three of them Natusru was by far the weakest having slacked off in her training.  It wasn’t a nice thing to say but the bow wielder was simply too weak for the job currently even if she did have the right disposition for it.

As Nariko had explained to her the priestess was the perfect middle ground between them.  Strong enough to be a threat to other high class ninja as proven when she’d bested the battle maid during the Jounin tournament, a person that had later gone on to become an interim Hokage for a short time.

She was also kind enough and gentle enough to deal with things with a softer hand when needed while stern and serious enough to use a firm hand when required.   With her financial sense that had allowed the village to bring in a truck load of money nearly overnight and her negotiating skills she’d displayed acting as Nariko’s assistant she had both the skill and clout she needed to get the job done.

Honestly it would be harder to find a better qualified candidate in all categories except for the small fact that Ryuko was reluctant to take the job.  That was more power and responsibility then she’d ever asked for, ever wished for.   Some many people’s lives would be riding on her every decision, just thinking about it was almost enough to make her feel sick.

Part of her wanted to just run away. Leave the village behind and find Nozomi.  There was a chance however slim she could take Nozomi into fleeing the elemental nations behind all together.  If they went overseas they could go to the home Country of the Rose clan and reclame Ryoko’s ancestral territory for themselves and leave in peace in a place where Nozomi would not be considered a criminal and wouldn’t have to fear being hunted down or prosecuted for her crimes.

While the idea of running had flickered across her mind for a brief moment Ryuko would never entertain it for long.   Her sense of responsibility was too strong for that.  Nariko had been forced to shoulder all that terrifying responsibility for so many years alone, longer than any other kage in the world.  In a time when other villages went though kage’s like people went through shoes she had been a pillar of stability.

It was long since time for someone else to take over and have a turn.  Ryuko didn’t need to be the Raikage forever but she couldn’t let them become like the other villages who seemed to switch every few months if not weeks.    When she had been chosen by Rafaela she’d wondered why and now she had an answer.  It was so she’d have the power she’d need to be a proper Raikage instead of a weak one.

Breathing a sigh of relief at having Shimiko’s blessings she gave her friend a wide grind. Boy was it weird hearing herself be called the Yondaime. Hakkin willing there wouldn’t be a Godaime for a long time to come.    Hearing that the negotiations could be done after the coronation was enough for her to frown.  Right now more than anything she needed stability between the two churches, if the Jashinist started shit up again she wouldn’t have a choice but to wipe them out this time and while Rafaela would be giddy with glee Ryuko herself didn’t want things to come to that.

“Tis not like I haven’t thought of some options to appease her lady Mora but to be frank I’d rather appease you…” Ryuko said with a long sigh.   She’d already had a long talk with the twins when she’d woken up from her coma and knew Mora wouldn’t be part of this world for much longer.   With Mora out of the way Shimiko and the twins would be the real power behind the church and she wanted them to be happy with the arrangements Ryuko wanted to make.

“To begin for the moment I would like to keep Hot Springs as a neutral buffer zone between us and Konohagakure with you in charge.  Your church will be given free reign to expand there while my church focuses on our existing pastures.” In other words while the Church of Hakkin had expanded greatly into frost and also into snow given the similar climates she was practically giving the Jashinist exclusive access to an entire land all for themselves.

“I’d also like to kick off my reign by holding a Jashinist festival as a sign of reconciliation.  Admittedly most I know of are a bit on the extreme sidem but surely you must have one that won’t be too off putting to the general populace.” said Ryuko practically pleading for Shimiko to come up with something that wouldn’t upset the public too much.   All those blood rituals they did tended to be more than a bit overwhelming for the uninitiated.

“Why are you bending over backwards to please a bunch of sick hedonist?  We should just drive them all out of the country to the backwoods where they belong.”  said Rafaela who was beginning to sound more radical by the second.    Given the long history between the two churches that was understandable, they’d literally fought more crusades against each other then Ryuko could count.  They had occasionally been able to put aside their differences for brief periods of time to work against common enemies but this was the first serious attempt that had ever been made for them to coexist peacefully.

“Because we need them.” Ryuko replied knowing it was the hard and fast truth. Hakkin followers made up a good percentage of the country but Jashinest weren’t too far behind.  Simply put, if they were to have another civil war to drive them out, the overall power of the country would suffer greatly.  

Even if Ryuko somehow managed to convince them to leave peacefully, which was doubtful losing Shimiko would be a major blow to her battle power.  She wasn’t sure she was ready to face Hakkin without her.

“Are ye of such little faith?” asked Rafaela her head tilted in confusion. She couldn’t understand why Ryuko was so reluctant to face their god without having someone from a rival religion on her side.   The answer to that too was simple.   Ryuko was going to have to fight without Rafaela’s support.  Without that she was just an ordinary ninja with no bloodline to speak of.  

Frankly she didn’t think she stood a chance by herself. Hakkin must have known that since he’d offered her the chance to bring along a squad with her for her test.  If she was going to be allowed to bring up to three people to help her then she was going to grab the strongest she could find.

Ryuko blinked in shock when Shimiko not so subtly said in her own way that maybe she should quit her church. Was her friend trying to convert her?    In a way she was being hypocritical to get mad when she’d suggested to the twins that they leave their church after finding out the hinky stuff that the Jashinist had been getting upto during her coma but she couldn’t help but feel a bit offended.   Being put into a coma was a trivial price to pay for the blessing she had received. Alas just as she was about to open her mouth to say something that she might later regret they were interrupted by the knock on the door.  Shimiko would proceed to open it only to find herself greeted by a pair of very unique individuals.


The first was a young woman who was slightly shorter than even Ryuko. With her black hair she almost looked like she could be the priestess slightly younger biological little sister if it weren’t for her striking red eyes and the lack of the Rose clan’s distinctive colored hair streak they all had.   She had an extremely fancy ornamental hair piece in the shape of a flower and ribbon on her head and was wearing an expensive looking red kimono that no commoner could ever hope to afford.  All together she gave off an affluent air about her that easily matched Ryuko’s own.

Standing behind her was an older gentleman in his mid to late sixties.  With Spikly grey hair and sharp looking red eyes that combined with his small beard to give him a commanding presence.  He had the look of a warrior with muscles that were still taunt for his age though he was clearly past his prime.  His purple and red overcoat the color of royalty well suited him and he seemed almost like he’d be as much at home on the battlefield as he would be in a throne room.

Neither Ryuko or Shimiko would fail to mistake who this old man was.   Even if they had never met him before practically everyone in the country knew his face from the newspapers and books that were taught in school.  This was the Daimyo himself Lord Oda Inazuma himself in the flesh.

Ryuko knew the identity of the woman who was with him,  but Shimiko was smart enough taht she’d likely figure it out pretty quick.   It was well known that there were Three Vestals in the Chuch of Hakkin.  One That served the Arch-priest, Lina Abekobe and  one that served the Raikage, Ryuko Shizu Von Rose.  Which could only mean that the woman with him was the Vestal that served the Daimyo, Megumi Yasuno in all of her explosive glory.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance Mrs. Chinoike but I’m afraid I’m here to speak to my colleague.” said Megumi as she gave Shimiko a polite courtesy.  Ryuko wasn’t sure what she was more flabbergasted by.  The fact that her fellow vestal was actually treating a member of the Jashinist church with respect or the fact that she’d referred to Shimiko as MRS which is the pronounce you used for a Married woman.

“I’ve heard a frightful rumor that she has designs on the Raikage seat and have come to clear up the confusion. After all this must be a terrible misunderstanding”   said Megumi not sounding like she believed that for a second as she glared daggers over Shimko’s shoulder and directly at Ryuko forcing the Priestess to cring.

Damn for something that was supposed to be top secret news sure traveled fast.  Then again Nariko had gone to speak with the Daimyo so it would make sense for Megumi to find out about it at the same time since she rarely left the Lord's side for long periods of time.

“I too have some concerns with that arrangement. May we come in?” asked Lord Inazuma. He could have simply ordered that Shimiko let him in but he was asking her instead as a sign of respect from the head of the land to the leader of one of it’s most prestigious clans.

Ryuko had a feeling that it was going to come to this.  Her being a Vestal and Raiakge would give her too much leverage over the Daimyo for her to be taken lightly.  The question was would they be able to talk him into letting her take the seat?  Ryuko had some big forward looking plans for this country, something a more converative older gentleman like Oda might not be able to easily understand.  

Him confronting them like this with just Megumi by his side was a sign of how brave he truly was.  He might have been a warrior but that was long in the past. He was fit for his age but he stood no chance against two X-class Shinobi even with Megumi’s assistance.  She was a vestal and a capable bodyguard against normal level threats but one look at her was enough for anyone to tell she wasn’t in the same weight class as Ryuko who had transcended normalcy the second she’d fallen into her coma.

[5]

Shimiko could tell by her friend's sigh that she had given the correct response. Ryuko wasn't looking for Shimiko to say no and relieve her of this burden. This was something she wanted to take on for the good of the country. They had arrived to the same conclusion and that was good. If the two were united then they could most certainly bridge the gap between their two religions. Ryuko lamented that she'd rather appease her than Lady Mora to which Shimiko shrugged. There wasn't much to say on that front. Shimiko was the Defender of Faith but ultimately she had no power to declare doctrine or interpret Jashin's will. That responsibility was left to someone with a higher calling. The most she could do is plead with Mora and obey her commands. When she had last spoken to Mora, they were working under the assumption that Nariko would be Raikage. This revelation would change things and Shimiko wasn't sure that it'd be for the better.

Ryuko went on to offer the Land of Hot Springs. Shimiko raised her eyes in surprise. The Land of Hot Springs had a large population many of whom were ripe for conversion (or sacrifice). It was a major concession to the Church and Shimiko was fairly certain it buy a good deal of goodwill. Apparently, it was to be put under her jurisdiction which made sense. The Land of Hot Springs was the Chinoike Clan's ancestral home. She had learned via their lost history that they once ruled the Land before being driven out by the Uchiha. She didn't hold a grudge against them for it as had that not happened, the Chinoike would never have moved to Kumo, the greatest country on Earth.

"Wow thats uh, thanks? Yeah I think that's an amazing start actually!" she said with a smile. The Chinoike Clan Elders would be pleased. The Church would be pleased. If Ryuko came out swinging with that then she found it hard to believe that Mora wouldn't play ball with the new Raikage. She then wanted Shimiko's help in celebrating a Jashinist festival. That was a touchy subject. Ryuko rightfully noted that most of the holidays in the Orthodox Jashinist religion were very violent and/or polarizing. The religion had been outlawed for centuries and thus most of their celebrations had taken on a "us/them" dichotomy. Fortunately, there was one upcoming holiday that might work.

"Well there is Kizzy Zikr...that's about as close to a PR friendly holiday that we have. Basically, its a holiday where we give and receive weapons. We're not allowed to buy or sell any weapons during that week, it has to be gifted. There is singing, dancing, and feasting. Its a pretty normal holiday by society's standards"

Their conversation was poised to take a turn for the worse when they were interrupted. When Shimiko opened the door she was greeted by none other than Lord Oda Inazuma, the Lightning Country Daimyou. She was rather surprised to see him at their residence but given what Ryuko had told her she shouldn't have been. Shimiko didn't have much respect for the Daimyou. He thought himself to be more important than he really was. Everyone with a brain knew that it was Nariko that really decided affairs of State. The Daimyou was little more than a figurehead. A national symbol designed to tie a multitude of clans and peoples to one nation. She had to keep from rolling her eyes when he asked to come in. She couldn't tell him to get lost because as powerless as she viewed him, she also knew he was necessary. If the military were to overthrow the Daimyou openly then that would cause a great deal of instability throughout the country. The fact that he was an Inazuma made things worse. Even if the Clan was in decline, taking out one of their own would tear apart the peace that had been built via the founding of Kumo.

Shimiko looked down at the pipsqueak in front of her. The girl addressed her as Mrs. Chinoike and Shimiko cringed in response.

Really?!

Shimiko quickly guessed that this must be the Daimyou's Vestal assistant. They didn't seem happy about the situation and insisted that they be let in. Shimiko gave them both a neutral look that basically said:

I should tell you to shove it but politics says I can't so...."Of course! Come in please!"

The guests would enter her luxurious penthouse suite and sit wherever they wanted.

"Can I get the two of you anything? Coffee, Tea, something stronger?"

She wanted to make a joke about serving the tiny one some juicy juice but she knew she couldn't do that. It would be an insult to Ryuko who shared the same rank as Megumi.

As Ryuko started to reveal her cards to Shimko everything was going like she’d expected so far.  It wasn’t like she’d come up with the idea of the concessions she’d suggested on the spot.  She’d spent quite a bit of time and effort thinking about the problem and how to best tackle it and wouldn’t have wasted time bringing up a plan she wasn’t at least reasonably sure had a chance of working.  

There was no such thing as 100% for things like this. There was always some hidden variable that even the smartest person wouldn’t be able to take into account but that didn’t stop her from doing her best to be thinking several dozen steps ahead at all times for all sorts of situations.  

People tended to forget because of her pretty face and friendly attitude just how devious she could be.  She was being totally honest with Shimiko about her desire for the Churches to be friendly with each other  but just because she wasn’t lying didn’t mean she wasn’t above manipulating things in order to make her wishes into a reality.

She hadn’t expected to be having this discussion right here, right now but she’d been planning it in the back of her head from practically the second she’d started straightening up the balance sheets.  Whether she became Raikage or not the fact she had woken up again had shaken up the status quo.  A confrontation with the other Vestal who had been shoring up their own power in her absence was inevitable.  

“Hey Shi-chan what’s with her referring to you as Mrs?”  Asked the priestess.  There were a lot of things she had taken into account for her plan. The fact Shimiko might have gotten married already while she was down for the count hadn’t been one of them.  Just thinking about how she had missed her best friend's wedding brought a stab of pain to her heart that hurt more than all the anxiety or concern she’d been feeling about how she was going to break the news about becoming Nariko’s successor.

It was the first time she’d really stopped for a second to process even a little about all that she had missed.  She’d worked herself so hard because she knew if she stopped that the weight of those two years could crush into her like a speeding truck.    She’d told herself that it was a small price to pay. That everything she’d gained was worth much more then the time she’d lost.  

More power, more status and an increased lifespan if she didn’t die from unnatural causes like being assasinated.  Overall having Rafaela inside her was a huge blessing but she’d been lying to herself when she’d said she didn’t regret what she’d missed.   If someone told her she could trade being the Raikage, trade the power she’d gained so that she could reset the clock and go back to that moment where she had collapsed for another try would she even hesitate?

She’d spent her entire life working for a better world. How much longer would she have to spend fighting?  If she knew going back would work out in her getting with Nozomi she was reasonably sure she’d agree in a heartbeat.  It was selfish as heck but didn’t everyone have the right to be selfish at least once in their life?

"Well at least she's an honest woman and not living in sin anymore."  said Rafaela saying something somewhat nice about Shimiko for the first time.  Maybe, just maybe she was starting to think that the Chinoike wasn't such a harlot after all.


“Shut up! This ain’t about her it’s about you ya jerk. What’s the big idea waking up after all this time and not coming to see me?” growled Megumi with tears in the edge of her eyes. She was  being far less polite with her colleague then she had been with Shimiko. The reason for that was simple enough, rival religion or not Shimiko was someone she had to treat with respect while Ryuko was ostensibly an equal at least in terms of rank, someone she didn’t have to hold back against.

Turning to Shimiko again, the other Vestal took out a handkerchief and used it to wipe her face before giving the Chinoki a warm smile as if to pretend her earlier outburst was merely a fragment of their collective imagination.

“I hate to impose but may I please have a coffee black.” she said in a perfect display of edicate.  It didn’t hold up for long though as Ryuko snorted at the remark causing the smile on Megumi’s face to crack.

“Still pretending to be refined are we?  We both know you can’t stand to drink your coffee straight.  When will you grow up already and share a beer with me?” asked the Priestess. It seemed the two of them had quite the complicated relationship.  Despite the snipping at each other it was clear they both deeply cared for the other.

“I’m fine with just a glass of water thank you. Can we please just get to business?” asked the Daimyo with a long suffering sigh.   He must have been used to these antics from Megumi as he’d already seemed to resign himself to putting up with it, to a degree at least.  A little eccentricity would be tolerated if an individual was talented enough.  Anyone picked to become a vestal was practically guaranteed to have both in spades and Ryuko herself was no exception.

Moving into the Room they took a seat at the table with Megumi sitting beside the other Vestal and the Daiymo sitting beside Shimiko and across from the two servants of the great church.  It wasn’t clear if himself was a believer or not or rather if he just put up with it for the additional influence it allowed him to wield.  In any case he didn’t seem to think anything of the fact that Shimiko was a Jashinist or if he did he wasn’t letting it show on his face.

“I have come today to ask you Lady Ryuko Shizu Von Rose what your intentions are in wishing to become the next Raikage.  We all know that I’m mainly a figurehead and Lady Nariko-san has held the real reigns of the country but I am not a man without my own influence.  We held a delicate balance of power between the two of us… a balance you now threaten to disrupt.” said Oda who had a deep scowl on his face the entire time he was talking.  He wasn’t even making an attempt to hide his displeasure at the situation.

Ryuko being a vestal and the Raikage at the same time threatened to turn the balance of power in the country on it’s very head.  Nariko had a lot of power but she still had to get Oda’s permission for some things before executing them even if it was mainly as a formality.   He was loath to lose what power and prestige he had left.

“Yeah what’s with that?  Yer supposed to be the Vestal that Serves the Raikage not become the Raikage yourself!  What’s the big idea going around calling yourself a living Saint? Yer looking to become a Holy Raikage or something? Trying to Overthrow the country?”   asked Megumi who sounded more excited at the prospect than accusatory.  She could be a bit of a scatter brain at times but she was perceptively on the nose when it counted.

“Yes If I have to.” stated Ryuko so blandly and matter of factly it was like she was ordering out a grocery list.   The fact that she wasn’t even denying that she was thinking about toppling the Daimyo if it came to that had him bolting out of his seat in outrage.  His fury was short lived however, even as he reached for the sword on his waist a  cold wave of energy washed over the room stopping him in his tracks.

“Don’t do anything you might regret.” Warned Ryuko quietly as she glared menacingly at him.  The anger in her voice was palpable yet restrained and it was enough  to force the man back into his seat.   The moment he did so the heavy air of intimidation vanished replaced by a more calming atmosphere.

He knew right now that if the Priestess was to go wild the only one with a prayer of stopping her at the moment was Shimiko who likely had little inclination to intervene.   Ryuko hadn’t killed him or overthrown him yet when she was clearly capable of either so he had no reason not to behave and listen for the moment.  Doing otherwise was nothing but sheer suicide.

“Hump. You had best have a good explanation for this.” He said douly as he took a trembling hand and used it to sip his glass of water to steady his nerves.  He was starting to regret not asking for something stronger.  If this was going to be how his life ended it should have been at least with some alcohol in his system to dull the pain.

“First of all, to answer one of your earlier questions, Megumi I’m not going around calling myself a Saint living or otherwise.   People just started calling me that on their own once I woke up from my Coma.”   explained Ryuko feeling a bit exasperated at the situation.  Being recognized for something other then having been born with a silver spoon in her mouth was nice but people were placing all sorts of unreasonable expectations on her.  

More than a few strangers had tried to touch her on the street, hoping that she would somehow pass over the miracle of her recovery from illness over to them. If only things were so simple.   Even if she unlocked the entire of Rafaela’s power it wouldn't make her a god like Hakkin.  There would still be limits to what she could do even if they were higher than what they were currently.

Looking first at Megumi and then at Shimiko the priest debated for a brief second about revealing her next card.  She’d kept the fact she’d become Rafaela’s host a closely guarded secret not telling anyone, not even reporting it to the Arch-Priest.  Still she had just been about to tell Shimiko about it before being interrupted.  Now seemed as good as a time as any so that she could move onto asking her friend for help mastering her new power. If she could win over Megumi’s support in the process then that would be some nice icing for a pretty tasty cake.

“As I was saying earlier,  Tis was not because of the plague that I fell into my long slumber but because I have been chosen by our god the blessed Hakkin to become the new champion of our times.” said Ryuko reverently standing up from her seat she spread her hands wide and looked upwards towards the sky thought the ceiling as if supplicating herself.

“Ye what? Champion of our times. You sure someone didn’t just slip some potion into your tea?” asked Megumi skeptically as she looked at her fellow vestal like the priestess had gone batty only for Ryuko to give her a faint saint-like grin.   The proof as it were would be in the pudding.   Closing her eyes she concentrated, drawing forth the smallest sliver of  Rafaela’s power.   Her body was enveloped by a golden flash of light that soon dissipated to reveal that her hair had completely changed to blond, including the one odd blue streak.  

She’d spent hours after her sparring grounds session with Shimko practicing this figuring out the minimal less than 1% she could call upon to trigger a transformation without damaging the barrier that separated their two souls.  Of course it had so little power that the change was entirely cosmetic but that served her dramatic purpose well.   Someone who had spent as much time studying the scripture as Megiumi would not fail to notice the resemblance Ryuko now bore to all the stained glass windows.

“Core blimey” Exclaimed Megumi as she scrambled out of her chair. She wasn’t taking a hostile stance so much as backing up out of  sheer disbelief.   “Ye look just like the First Vestal herself! Can it be true?” she asked her eyes full of wonderment and mirth.

“Yes Child. As sure as the sun rises and sets  I too share this body with Ryuko. Hakkin be praised” spoke Rafaela in a warm gentle tone using Ryuko’s mouth in the priestess stead.  A trained doctor might be more skeptacal, thinking her long illness had caused her to have a mental break and develop a multiple personality disorder but for a devout follower the first vestals words where akin to law and she dropped down to her knees in reverence.

If Ryuko walked into the church as she was now she could easily declare herself as the Arch-Priestess and get away with it.  The only way someone could possibly have more authority would be for Hakkin himself to show and declare it so.

“Humpf.  I won’t be so easily wavered by some cheap parlor trick.  You might not have used Hand-signs Lady Ryuko but I know you ninja are capable of all sorts of physics defying things with that mysterious magical chakra of yours.  You’ll have to do much better than that if you want to win my support. “   He said stubbornly.

“Lady Shimiko-san…” He started as he turned to their host. He’d noticed how she’d reacted to being called Mrs earlier and was reacting accordingly.  Even as self important as he was he wouldn’t have gotten to where he was if he wasn’t observant.   “I’ve changed my mind.  It seems I could use a stiff drink after all. “ he said giving theChinoike a slight grin.   If they were willing to negotiate with him then instead of just taking over by force despite having the upper hand then this is where things got interesting.

“Why don’t you start by telling me just exactly what you plan to do with this country once you have it under your control.” he said sternly.  He wasn’t an entirely unreasonable man, or an entirely unreasonable ruler.  He hadn’t done the best job but he hadn’t done the worst either and he clearly actually did care for his people to at least some extent unlike some rules who were just in it for their own personal gain.

Before she could continue Ryuko glanced at Shimiko once more wondering what the person who she thought of as her own sister thought of all the developments so far.  Would she chastise the priestess for openingly admitting to making a power play and aiming for complete control of the county or would she welcome the change in regimes?   This had become about so much more than who would become the next Raikage,  but rather who would become the next head of state in every sense of the word.

[6]

“Hey Shi-chan what’s with her referring to you as Mrs?”
"Oh. That....well..."

Shimiko shot the other Vestal an annoyed look. She couldn't have just called her "Shimiko," "Captain Shimiko," or "Lady Shimiko?" She just had to call her Mrs. apparently. She didn't get around to telling Ryuko all of the fun things that she had missed out on while she was in her coma. Like her bitter breakup with Sakata or the fact that she had married Vik Chinoike, the Chinoike Clan Leader, in order to shore up an alliance between the Church and her Clan. It wasn't so much that those things were secret, it was more that they weren't the most pleasant topics to discuss when she had just gotten her sister back. Shimiko sighed and just spat out the truth.

"While you were in a coma...a lot of things changed. I broke up with Sakata. He's gone now...I think he moved back to the Land of Snow or Frost or whatever. I don't really care. I married Vik who is the Chinoike Clan Leader. So yeah, I'm uh married woman now" she said with a smile.

There was more to it than that. A lot more. In fact, if the two had a spare moment to chat about things other than affairs of state then Shimiko would probably tell her. She had married Vik purely out of political convenience and stability. He had been instrumental in getting the Clan Elders to accept the Twins as full fledged Chinoike. He had pitched marriage as a way to sell the Clan on allying with the Orthodoxy. He had helped her discover the power of the Hachidora Ketsurygan and the lost history of their people. He had told her that there was power in her blood and that if it were to continue, she'd need to wed and bed another Chinoike. He had said these things far more elegantly but that was about the jist of it. It was more or less an "arranged" marriage of sorts. She felt no true love or passion for him. He was attractive but way older than she was. He didn't show it due to the Clan's genetic make up which dramatically slowed their aging. Nevertheless, the social and psychological barrier was there. To make matters worse, he was a notorious playboy with several mistresses and twice as many bastards. Shimiko didn't love him and so she didn't care about those things. However, marrying for the sake of power had left a stain on her soul. It made her feel like a prostitute and sometimes she cried about it. She hated Sakata's guts but being with him was purely her own choice and she did it out of love. This was something else and sometimes it hurt worse than being alone.

Then there was of course the fact that she had murdered her own parents during the week of the wedding. That was a whole other set of baggage though. She might yet one day tell Ryuko how she felt about her marriage. She'd probably never tell the Vestal that she was a ruthless kinslayer.

When Megumi told Ryuko to shut up, the blonde's head snapped towards the impudent footstool. She didn't say anything but her expression was that of a Jashinist that had spied a piece of meat begging to be sacrificed. She couldn't spoil her expensive floor with the girls blood though, and of course, it'd be rude to kill Ryuko's religious compatriot in front of her.

Jashin by your grace and most hallowed glory forgive me for being unable to kill this heathen. I cannot unite her with your endless void and for this I beg your divine pardon.

The girl got herself under control and asked for coffee. She was smiling like she hadn't just berated the new Raikage. Shimiko returned the smile and went to fetch her the coffee. As of this very moment, Shimiko accepted Ryuko as her Raikage. There was a bit of salt in her spirit about it, but now and forever, she'd consider her sister the rightful ruler of the country. To hear someone talk like that to Ryuko and then ask for coffee made Shimiko's blood boil. Alas, diplomacy called for a steady hand and at this moment, she'd let the more experienced Ryuko take the lead. The two Vestals were close. Shimiko could tell by how Ryuko talked that they were more than colleagues. This meant that the ANBU Captain had to be nice to Megumi. The girl was served coffee (either black or loaded with milk and sugar, whichever she ended up preferring) and the Daimyou would have his water. The group then moved to one of the minor living rooms where they took up the positions described. Shimiko appeared to be relaxed and comfortable but internally she loathed the Daimyou. She wanted his head. Ever since the Church had been legalized, she had heard that many in his court wanted them gone. Whether or not he himself held those views were irrelevant because an unacceptable number of his footpads seemed to harbor anti-Jashinist sentiment. She remained silent as the Daimyou stated his concerns. He was intelligent enough to acknowledge the primacy of the Raikage over the country, but he believed that if Ryuko took power, it would tip the balance further against him.

Apparently Ryuko had taken to calling herself a Living Saint which was rather ironic because Shimiko herself was rather close to being canonized as a Saint within the Orthodoxy. That decision was for Mora to make though and she'd never be so presumptuous as to use that title without receiving her Lady Superior's blessing. When asked if she aimed to overthrow the country, Shimiko expected Ryuko to give a resounding "No." What her sister said instead made her smile and raise her eyebrows in excitement.

This was starting to get good.

The Daimyou leapt up in anger at her words but Shimiko was as calm as ever. She gave him an icy stare and the corner of her mouth turned to a smirk. Neither of the two strongest ninja in the village took his actions seriously. If he drew steel in front of the Raikage, he'd be dead before he could process what was happening. Shimiko's eyes told him the hold story: Go ahead...Give me a reason. Ryuko vocalized this by warning him not to do anything that he'd regret.

In that moment, the Raikage was a liar.

He'd never live long enough to regret his actions. He'd attack and then experience Darkness. The Daimyou sat his ass down and demanded an explanation as if he was owed one. Ryuko went on to explain that she hadn't referred to herself as a Saint. Others were using that phrase. It made sense. Shimiko herself had become a cult hero amongst Jashinists not only in Kumo but around the world. She couldn't stop them from worshiping her or saying blasphemous things about her. Like her being Jashin incarnate or the next Lady Superior etc etc.

Ryuko went on to finish saying what she was going to say before they had been interrupted. She had been chosen as the new Champion of her God. Shimiko looked at her friend in amazement. Megumi rudely voiced her own disbelief but somehow Shimiko knew her friend was telling the truth. Not long ago, Shimiko herself had been chosen by the Necrossiah, Jashin's fleshy form, to be the champion of her own Church. Shimiko considered Hakkin to be a lesser God and one who wrongfully claimed supremacy over the divine. However, she could acknowledge him as a God all the same. If Hakkin and Jashin in their celestial wisdom were choosing their champions at around the same time then that could only mean that something big was coming. Something that would shake the Earth to its very core. Shimiko's heartbeat quickened as Ryuko provided proof for her bold claims.

Ryuko's black hair turned into a brilliant gold. Even the distinct blue streak that ran through her hair was swallowed up by the auric glow. When Ryuko spoke, it was not with the voice she had come to know and love. It was with someone else's voice and that someone else sounded rather powerful. Shimiko was probably the calmest out of all of them, but despite her outward appearance of neutrality, she was intrigued. Mora would need to know about this.

The Daimyou expressed disbelief but her experience as an intelligence operative told her he was lying. The man was rather shaken and when he asked for a stiff drink, she smiled. Shimiko went to go get him a glass of bourbon. She tossed in two ice cubes and handed it over. She hadn't said anything but her eyes communicated her thoughts: Wise choice.

She then sat back down to hear what Ryuko had to say. When the Vestal looked to gauge her reaction she'd see nothing but warm approval. She never liked the Daimyou and coming from a strong military background, she believed that it was the Kage that should dictate the fate of the nation. Her own brother Seigi had taken the same approach as Nariko and Shimiko saw Ryuko's play as being a logical extension of a tradition that had started since the village was founded. Shimiko smiled and gave a subtle nod as if to make that approval clear.

The Orthodoxy, the Chinoike, and Kumo ANBU would stand behind Ryuko. Irrespective of the differences between them, they were all warriors at heart and they would always pick a warrior to lead them as opposed to some upjumped lord. Inazuma or no, he himself was not a man of arms and they'd never see him as their true leader.

Megumi tilted her head in confusion as she felt Shimiko’s hostility wash over her in waves. Like the airhead she was she couldn’t understand what she had done to offend the Chinoike. Hadn’t she been perfectly polite and cordial? She’d been following the orders the Arch-Priest Saiga Seto had given her to the letter. He had been express about how she wasn’t to make waves with the Jashinest at this time.

He’s said something about how in these trying times they were stronger together then apart. She couldn’t remember the exact words since she’d only been paying half attention at the time. Personally she didn’t really understand why they didn’t take the opportunity to drive their rivals out of the country after that whole civil war fiasco but who was she to question the word of her god.

After all if humans could fully understand gods they wouldn’t really be all that much divine anymore. If Hakkin said to get along with the Jashinest then she was bound and determined to become buddies with them. She returned Shimiko’s glare with a kind smile figuring that maybe the Chinoike was just being irritable from having her meal interrupted and that surely the Anbu commander would warm up to her over time.

As for Ryuko, her friends' reluctance to say anything on the matter spoke volumes on it’s own. They’d talked about quite a few things after their sparring match but the fact that Shimiko had gotten married while Ryuko was in a coma was not one of them. That her sister would feel the need to keep a secret from her kind of stung but Ryuko knew her well enough to know that she must have her reasons.

Whatever the story was it must have been a complicated one. Ryuko would have bet good money on the relationship between Shimiko and Sakata working out. The fact that had actually broken up after all the work she’d put in helping them get together in the first place was heart rendering.

The girlish part of her wanted to take Shimiko aside and grill her for all the juicy details on just what the heck went on while she wasn’t around but now really wasn’t the time for such things. That would have to be a discussion for a later date. One glance in her friend's eyes was enough to tell her everything she needed to know about how she felt about the situation at hand.

That more than anything gave her a feeling of liberation. Having Shimiko at her back and supporting her bid for control of the country was the most reassuring thing that could have happened right then. It told the priestess that what she was doing wasn’t wrong. That she wasn’t being selfish and merely grabbing power for its own sake.

The Daiymo asked her to start by explaining what she wanted to do with this country and she took a second to compose herself. She had so many ideas that it was almost hard to decide where to begin. Some of them were so complicated and over such a long time scale that even she had trouble grasping them at times. If their was one benefit to her coma other then becoming Rafaela’s host it was that her god had given her a vision of a potential future. Not of some idyllic utopia where everything was perfect but of a country and a people that were much more prosperous than what they had now.

“I wish to transform this country from the ground up. For far too long since the foundation of this very village we’ve been content with the status quo, never stopping to ask ourselves what could be done better. I will increase commerce and trade. From using science to develop new forms of transportation to increasing our agricultural output I will raise the standard of living for all who dwell within our lands.” she proclaimed still in her more celeastrial form only now she was speaking with her own voice once again.

It was all incredibly mundane but the fact she was starting with things that would improve the lives of the citizenry first spoke volumes about what her priorities were as a leader. It was ironic how trying to raise others up was often looked down upon by those who already had. It often wasn’t easy to accumulate wealth and power and people who had it were often loath to share. Case in point the Daiymo himself.

“What utter trite. In the end all you will accomplish is painting a bigger target on our country.” Muttered Oda darkly as he took off the barbon Shimiko had provided him. He firmly believed in maintaining the balance between his country and the other major powers, not getting too far ahead of them which would draw their jealousy.

“Tis true that if we left things as they are now and continued to rake in more and more funds then inevitability Kiri or Kohana would strike, if for no other reason then to get their share of the pie. However I have a plan both for avoiding war and one should they attack anyhow.” she admitted a fact that had Oda agog. Who the heck makes concessions for what would happen if their man plan fails?

“We will take many of our new improvements and over time share them with the other nations. If we take a rising tide raises all boats approach they will have little reason to harass us. I will tie our economy such that any attack on us will become an indirect attack on themselves while also remaining independent enough to not need them to stay afloat should push come to shove.”

Now Oda was truly flabbergasted. His mouth opening and closing rapidly like a fish had been dragged onto land and was struggling to breath. The idea of sharing technology was such a forgin one to his aged mind that it had been completely blown away. He wasn’t sure if she was simply too generous for her own good or simply incredibly foolish.

Doing what she was speaking out would be indelibly difficult. It would take a lot of work to mailulapte the markets the right way. He almost wanted to say she was talking about doing the impossible but he couldn’t quite bring himself to voice that though. He’d seen the amount of money she’d managed to raise in a short amount of time and benefited from some of it himself. If anyone could do it, maybe just possibly it would be her even if he didn’t want to admit that either.

Megumi meanwhile was hanging onto Ryuko’s every word like it was the spoken gospel. Acting as if what she was saying was actually profound when really all she was doing was outlying vague intentions with no real details on how she was actually going to accomplish such things. Little did she know that Ryuko was already making moves behind the scenes to make her ideals into a reality and had been doing as such from the moment she’d woken up.

“Obviously we won’t be sharing ALL our discoveries. Anything particularly powerful or potentially dangerous will be kept for our military. Sharing ways to grow more crops is one thing but I shan't hand them better tools for killing. They will have to develop those on their own.” said the priestess firmly.

“With the new technology I’m developing in play our force projection will multiply exponentially. Already next generation iron hulled ships that don’t require sails are in the works with more to come. We shall seize supremacy in both Land, Sea and Air and perhaps with time go even further beyond.” at those last words Ryuko gazed upwards through the ceiling towards the heavens.

She knew about the existence of extraterrestrials and other dimensions. If possible she would be absolutely delighted if she got to explore the stars during her lifetime. Some of her ideas were so out there they were literally out of this world such as finding a way to get to the very moon, not that she was going to say that now since even Shimiko might say that would be preposterous.

“That said I plan on taking a purely defensive stance unless otherwise required. We must not be the ones to instigate a war, but we certainly will be the ones to END it should it unfold.” She said with a level of confidence that wasn’t unfounded. She didn’t think that Kumokagure was invincible by any stretch of the imagination but even at its current levels it would be a difficult opponent for any of the other major nations to tackle on their own.

As long as she could avoid the other 4 ganging up on her at the same time then no matter what came their way they wouldn’t outright lose even if they couldn’t win either. In a way reaching a stalemate and thus continued survival was victory in its own right.

“To that end we when we expand our territory we must do so diplomatically and not by force. Once people see what we have done to revolutionize both ourselves and the land of Frost it won’t be hard to sell them on the notion and they will join us willingly depriving our foes of casus belli.”

What she was suggesting was a very high level political play. By keeping things above board it would be much more difficult for another nation to declare war on them without losing popular support from the people for their war mongering. All one had to do was look at the actions Kiri had taken with the Land of Demon and Iron’s to see that taking the extreme route had garnered them more ire than friends. If they got into a pinch few of other nations would bother running to their aid in a time of need.

What she was suggesting was the antithesis to what many great people in a position of power. The Caesars and Alexanders of the world who say what they wanted and would take it by force. For someone like Oda who would be happy to have more lands under his domain if he could grab them it was nothing but disadvantageous.

At least with Nariko things had gone well for him. She’d seized Frost by the throat, going for the surgical strike of cutting off the head of those in charge while leaving the rest untouched. He’d gained so much more territory and tax revenue that he could have thought possible. He’d long dreamed of turning the land of lightning into a great empire and passing it onto one of his grandsons but the priestess policy of being more dove then hawk was threatening to crumble his ambition before his very eyes.

Naturally he had to tread carefully or he’d lose much more than his ambitions here today but his life as well, but that didn’t make having to swallow them any easier. At the rate things were going he could forget the future gain, even maintaining what he already had would become a major issue. If she really improved things as much as she was claiming then people would be begging her to overthrow him before long.

“Most importantly of all I will be implementing new standards for education. A vocational school of sorts for younger gennin to keep our children off the fields of battle. Over time our Chunnin will become the most elite in all the lands from the additional time we take to sparen them.” said voicing her most radical policy of the day so far. Child soldiers where a dime a dozen among the 5 nations, removing them even partly from the equation would lower the manpower of her forces significantly in the short term even if the nation would be better for it overall in the long run.

“That’s all well and good but what you speak of will take time. Change doesn't come overnight. Until your new technology is ready how do you plan to defend our country in the meantime?” asked the Daimyo pointing out the obvious flaw in her plan. Her reforms would bring great wealth and propsiary faster than they could grow the military.

Even Megumi who was more adapt at getting the other clans to follow along with his whims then a battlefield tactician could see what a juicy target that would make them. Crossing her arms, she tilted her head to the side wondering what her friend's answer would be and what she could do to help make this wonderful vision a reality.

“Once I master the power Hakkin has granted me my Defensive ability will be practically unrivaled. I shall become Kumogakure’s shield defending it from all attacks while Shimiko acts as the sword slicing all who dare to oppose us. Together we are the ultimate team!” Declared Ryuko as she gave her sister a large grin. As they were now she truly believed that if they worked together they could overcome just about any obstacle.

“You mean you don’t have full control over Rafaela yet?” asked Megumi her shoulders sagging in disappointment. Ryuko as the older vestal had been something of an idol to her. Someone to inspire to, to emulate. When the priestess had fallen into a coma she’d despaired at the thought of losing her source of inspiration. It had been a particularly dark time for her.

Hearing that her friend was awake again had brought tears of joys to her eyes even as hearing the rumors made her frustrated that her idol was going astray so soon after finally returning to her. Seeing that Ryuko was the host of the first Vestal rose her up to a level where she could practically do no wrong in the younger priestess eyes. She almost had to laugh at herself for almost taking it too far after being reminded that her senpai was still fallible in the end.

“That was part of what I was here to speak with Shimiko about. I was hoping to ask for her assistance in the matter.” Ryuko admitted as she sheepishly scratched at her chin with a gloved finger. Asking someone something along the lines of Hey wanna help me fight a god was kind of a difficult topic to broach. Hearing this the Daimyo clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“No disrespect but as strong as you may be my lady, I have severe reservations about accepting this appointment as things stand. You only just barely won your match in the Ninja world tournament and almost would have assuradily lost in the following rounds had you managed to participate and not fallen victim to the infernal plague that infests our lands” he said tapping the table as he talked in order to maintain his focus. One wrong word and he could very much lose his head.

“Even your friend here who is clearly the stronger of you two lost to that DEMON missing ninja from Kiri. In all the time you’ve been asleep monsters like her have only gotten stronger while you’ve remained stagnant and unchanging. You’ve recovered from your condition in remarkable time but I highly doubt a week's time has been enough to make much difference in your ability.” He said firmly knowing that he was making a more than valid point.

“Unless you can demonstrate your ability, your conviction to be able to defend this land from the worst of the worst then I remain unmoved.” He said crossing his arms stubbornly. No matter what anyone said he truly cared about his country. If they were going to kill him for that at least they’d had the decency to allow him one last drink. He was old, if this was his time then so be it.

Ryuko’s eyes visibly flashed with anger for a brief second at the way he referred to Nozomi before returning to her normal calm expression. It would happen so fast only Shimiko would have a chance to catch the expression on her face if her friend happened to be looking in the right direction at the time. That was a purely personal matter so Ryuko held her tongue as she stopped to consider how to respond to her lord's challenge. She needed a moment to think and collect her thoughts before she could proceed.


[7]

Ryuko went on to explain what she had in store for the Lightning Country. Shimiko found herself agreeing with most of it. The nuances of business and politics were not her forte so she wasn't really in a position to critically evaluate Ryuko's plan. She trusted her sister though and so if Ryuko said this would benefit the village in the long-run, then Shimiko would stand behind her. The Daimyou pointed out that prosperity brought jealousy but Shimiko was confident that Kumo's military could handle Kiri and Konoha. Ryuko believed much the same with the added point that a rising tide would lift all boats. Shimiko found herself nodding in agreement. The Priestess then described how she'd win with overwhelming victory on fall fronts: economic, military, and diplomatic. As the Yondaime Raikage saw it, the future was Lightning.

It was when Ryuko mentioned her plan to curtail military service for the young that Shimiko shifted in her seat a bit. The woman's expression was neutral for the time being. She couldn't contradict or fight with Ryuko in front of these two "outsiders." They had to put up a united front and that meant that if Shimiko did have reservations with the things that her Raikage was saying, it'd be best to hash those out in private. This plan to take children off the battlefield would be a major issue for her. Shimiko had extensive experience in training and recruiting young soldiers. She believed as a matter of principle that fighting to the death for God, Country, and Family was the highest calling any shinobi could have. To deprive the young of the ability to experience death firsthand would be unacceptable for this Jashinist. She would oppose such a plan with every fiber of her being as it cut to the core of a very personal issue for her. Her own mother had thought along the same lines. She had refused to allow Shimiko to join the Academy when she came of age. Her development was held back a few years until Seigi became Raikage and removed her parents' choice from the equation.

Any genin that wants to fight should be able to....the patronizing peacenik bureaucrats might have gotten to Ryuko. I'll need to talk some sense into her while we're in private.

Shimiko's mood improved when Ryuko declared that they were an unstoppable team. She didn't know anything about Ryuko's new power but it sounded like a defensive one. This would compliment Shimiko very nicely as she was renown for her unrelenting and unstoppable offensive abilities. She may have lost to Nozomi but the Nuke-Nin had been chased around the field like a little girl, only overcoming the Chinoike due to her Bijuu. With the two of them on the battlefield, any nation would be wise to sue for peace.

Judging from Megumi's question and Ryuko's response, in order for Raefala's true power to be unlocked she'd need the help of someone just as strong. Shimiko gave her friend a solemn nod.

"You don't even need to ask. My Claws are yours to command Raikage-sama."

The statement was extremely formal. Under most circumstances, the pair would cringe at such words. This was not most circumstances though. They were in the company of people who were outside the family. She wanted them to understand that aside from the affection they had for each other, Shimiko was completely devoted to her leader. The only thing that could make her question her allegiance to Ryuko would be the Orthodoxy and since they weren't aware of this development then there was almost nothing Ryuko could ask of her that she wouldn't do.

Shimiko had no clue what this "assistance" would entail but if it involved fighting or killing then Ryuko could not have dreamt of a better ally. Regardless of what needed to be done, Shimiko would do it. However, the Daimyou wasn't moved by their convictions. He went on to say that neither of them were as strong as they made themselves out to be. The man recounted that Ryuko's progression in the Tournament was rather mediocre. He was apparently not much of a listener because he stated that she had fell ill due to the plague when she had just stated the exact opposite. The man couldn't pay attention in a meeting regarding the fate of the country and yet he saw fit to pass judgment on their talents?

Shimiko scoffed.

She could tell that Ryuko was angry at what he had said. Nozomi was a sensitive subject for the both of them and bringing about Shimiko's loss to her was a rather bold move. A few years ago and she might have attacked him for it. She could tell that he knew he had offended them deeply, but he didn't care. Either he was suicidal or his concerns were so genuine that he was willing to risk his life to bring them up. She didn't know whether to be moved or annoyed. She settled for a mixture of both.

"First of all, Ryuko didn't fall victim to the plague as she just stated. The coma was caused by her divine benefactor...this Raefala. Try to keep up."

She turned to face him directly and continued speaking in a measured tone.

"I understand your concerns Lord Oda but spare us your evaluation of our fighting prowess. Nozomi beat me in the World Tournament because of her Bijuu and it was a rather close match. That was years ago and I've grown considerably stronger since then. Name any world leader or shinobi of note, tell me to go kill them, and with the Raikage's blessing I'll bring you their head in a fortnite. I have no equal and when Ryuko unlocks the full power of her divine benefactor....WE will have no equal. Let me tell you something....when our squad was starting out as shinobi, Ryuko was the strongest of us by far and that was when she was just learning. Once she unlocks her true potential which I know she will, I guarantee you that she'll be a force to be reckoned with. Don't undermine the fruits of your own labor Lord Oda. The Office of the Daimyou has been instrumental in ending the Era of Warring Clans, it is now time for the Kage to lead us into a new one. Leave the affairs of the military to the military. We'll protect Kumo with our lives."

Shimiko had learned that negotiations went best when you flattered the opposition a little. Give them some words to make them think they've won. Its especially important to do this when you're holding all of the cards, otherwise they'd dig their heels in and blow up any chance of a deal. Human psychology was weird but once you learned certain tricks, even the most contentious of discussions could be resolved peacefully.

Shimiko looked over to Ryuko and saw that the girl had been troubled by the Daimyou's statements. The sting in his words lay in the fact that there was some truth to them. It was a dangerous and controversial truth, but it was a truth all the same. Attacking him wouldn't erase the facts he had uttered. However, she could counter those facts with truths of her own. She needed to lift Ryuko's spirits. She needed to strengthen her Raikage's faith in the village. A devious smile made its way across her face as she stood up and turned to Oda and Megumi. Hopefully the attention placed on her would give Ryuko time to recover.

"In fact, since you seemed to be so concerned with how Kumo plans to defend itself in these trying times.....I think I might let you in on a little secret. As ANBU Commander what I am about to show you is classified as Top Secret. Normally only the Raikage would be privy to this information but given your valid concerns about the transition, I think this will allay some of your fears"

Shimiko walked away and headed to her comms system. She buzzed the reception of her Tower and said:

"Contact Mr. Deero, tell him to send in codename: Baku"

Mr. Deero was the Tower's ANBU contact. If Shimiko needed classified information, techniques, or persons to come to be brought to her home, he was her go-to man. He was discreete, fast, and trustworthy. Once Baku arrived, Lord Oda's world would be turned upside down. Shimiko returned from her comms station and retrieved the bottle of bourbon. Without asking, she refilled Lord Oda's glass and had the audacity to poor some into Megumi's cup as well, regardless of whether the little one had finished her cup of coffee. It was a bit of revenge for Megumi's rudeness earlier.

"You're going to want this trust me" she said to the both of then. She sat down and set the bottle on the table nearby. What Oda and Megumi were about to see was nothing short of historic.

Somber footsteps reverberated through the quiet hallways of the tower. Not but 30 seconds after Mr. Deero had contacted him, "Baku" would arrive at the door leading to the room that held the highest powers of the Land. The sound of a *click* and the door opening would hopefully get the attention of the room as Codename: Baku would enter the room, taking everything in with his good eye. He would instantly recognize the Daimyo and Ryuko as he closed the door behind him. Seigi was dressed in a black, form-fitting jumpsuit with an armored vest that hugged him tightly and a white fox mask that looked like it had seen too many battles too soon, The sleeve of the right arm had been removed, allowing full view of the bandages that covered Seigi's arm from bicep to fingertips, the result of an injury from his own world. His hair was long, now down to his chest, hanging loosely, snow-white strands falling in front of his mask. Two katana hung on each hip, Seigi's left arm would rest itself in the space between the katana and his hip, his posture lax, yet attentive.


"Lord Inazuma. Lady Ryuko" Seigi would say, recognizing them to show respect, before moving his free hand to his mask, slowly taking it off to reveal his face. His features were sharpened, chiseled by war, down an eye, and aged since either of them would have "seen" him, but there was no doubt in it.
Seigi Chinoike, the Second Raikage, The Devil of the Cloud, would stand before them, only to then slip into a bow.
"If I had known there would be company, I would have slipped into something more appropriate." He would jest, rising from his bow. Seigi and Shimiko had discussed scenarios similar to this one long ago and he figured now was the time to put on his game face. A lifetime of being a shinobi had made him an excellent actor, and his time as Raikage in his own dimension had prepared him for the pleasantries and customs and mindset he would need to convince them that he was the real deal. He would glance to Shimiko, then Megumi, who was the only person in the room he didn't know. Seigi would move across the room, his movement swift and direct, slipping over towards Shimiko, placing himself next to her but opting not to sit. He didn't really like sitting all that much, to be honest. Even without the context of what was happening in the room, the air with thick with tension, which made Seigi uneasy. Outwardly, however, his composure was cool, calm, and collected.

"I'm sure you have questions."

So far, so good. Shimiko hadn’t shown any signs, outwardly at least that she disagreed with any of the policies that Ryuko had been dictacting.   Her dream of this country's future was so detailed and complex that she was worried that she might lose touch with reality.  She was counting on her friend to snap her back to things if she started saying anything too outlandish.

In particular she hoped that Shimiko would understand where she was going with her keeping children off the battlefield thing.  It wasn’t like she was planning to eliminate training altogether, more that Gennin under the age of 18 would be treated more akin to something like Scouts or Guides.     They’d still be able to take low risk missions with a sensei and taught her to survive and all that, she really just wanted to avoid throwing them into the meat grinder that was war.

Not that sending adults off to die was much better but at least they’d had a chance to have meaningful life experiences first. Nothing was more tragic than a bright star extiushined early before it even had a chance to shine.

Shimiko quickly agreed to her request for assistance in unlocking Rafaela’s true power  but Ryuko couldn’t help but wonder if her friend would have said yes so readily if she’d known the full details.   They were going to have to confront an honest to god deity. Even if it was only a fraction of Hakkin’s true power that would still be that hardest fight they had ever had in their lives.  

To be honest if it wasn’t for the fact Ryuko had preptime on her side and advanced knowledge of the foe they would be facing she wasn’t sure they’d have a chance.  The only reason she was even half confident they could win was because she’d been able to stack the deck as much as possible in their favor and tailor her approach to perfectly suit what they were going to be up against.

The thought of having to fight an equivalent foe like one of the bijuu going in completely blind and not either having a weakness to exploit or a way to protect yourself from it’s best attacks was absolutely bone chilling terrifying.  If she could use all of Rafaela’s power that would be one thing but it would be locked away for the coming fight which made things all the more difficult.

To be honest it still felt weird for someone to be calling her Raikage-sama, especially since it was far from official yet.   It’d be one thing if it was a student addressing her with one respect but having someone who she saw as an equal doing it was just plain weird.

“I heard what she said. Clearly she’d delusional after having recovered from her illness. Yet another reason I can not trust the country to her” replied Oda scathingly.  It was well known that people tended to get religious after a near death experience.  For somebody that was already deeply religious the results would be even more extreme.

If he was a sensor type he might have known otherwise just by being able to see the sheer amount of chakra she was radiating right now and how odd her signature had become. So far  other then a change in hair color he hadn’t seen nearly enough to be impressed.   Looking at Shimiko as she boasted about being unmatched he narrowed his eyes as if trying to measure her true value.

“Indeed.  For those that reside in this country you are unmatched. If Lady Nariko had chosen you I would have no complaints.” said Oda with a confident nod.  He knew Shimiko was of a far fiercer temperament than Ryuko.   There would have been little talk of all these high minded ideals and more actions.    She would have expanded the land under his domain for sure.  Heck in a way she had already grabbing control over the Land of Hotsprings if only the new would be Raikage wasn’t so quick to give it away even if in name only.

They should be annexing it like they did with Frost and adding it to their borders on the map, not giving it the illusion of independence and keeping it as a buffer zone.   As far as he was concerned Ryuko was far too soft to be running the show.   Frankly speaking things would be far better off for him if she simply remained an advisor and someone more hawkish was on the lead.

“Do not mistake being strong here to mean you are peerless. When we look to the wider world beyond our borders there are others that match or even exceed you Lady Shimiko. Uchiha Akihiro just to name one of them.  I heard about an incident where he worked with the Mizukage and STILL weren’t able to bring Nozomi down for good even if they did manage to chase her off. What makes you two think you could do any better?” he asked knowing that had to rankle the woman that her sworn enemy had gotten away.

If the Chinoike hadn’t been so willing to back Ryuko and instead pushed forward her own candidacy he wouldn’t have refrained from picking at her sore spot but right now he had to use every card he had available if he was going to regain the upper hand.  He had the feeling with the right push she could get them to agree to switch roles sort to speak, not that Ryuko would be literally becoming the Anbu commander in that case.


“Unless you have another jinchuurikis around that I wasn’t aware of already I don’t see what you could possibly bring out that could balance the deficit.  Not with the polices you wish to enact at least.  Mark my words, your radical ideas WILL bring trouble to our shores.” Remarked Oda as he crossed his arms remaining defiant.

Megumi for her part had nothing really to say.  She knew how stubborn the Daimyo could be so trying to convince him that Ryuko wasn’t being delusional about her new power would have been a waste of breath.   Seeing Shimiko poor some bourbon into her cup the young girls went wide as saucers.   The the village they allowed underage people to drink as long as they were ninja thanks to Nariko changing the laws but the capital wasn’t so flexible.   She was supposed to drink for religious purposes but actually getting a hold of that alcohol wasn’t easy.    Her main supply had been coming from Ryuko which had suddenly been cut off when her senpai was in a coma.  

Thanks to that she’d scarcely had a drop in the last two years.  She was eying her cup as if it was mana from heaven.   Taking a swig like she was chugging mere apple juice she let off a satisfied ah and grinned, her nose already turning a little red even though it was nowhere near enough for her to be drunk yet.

“Thanks Shi-chan, you’re the best!” she proclaimed seeing this as a sign that they would become fast friends. She was even addressing Shimiko with the same nickname Ryuko often used as a sign of affection.

As for the priestess herself, her brain was spinning on overdrive trying to think of some way to prove to the stubborn Daiymo that her new power was real and that she wasn’t just being delusional.  

The biggest problem was since Rafaela’s chakra was bent towards ijutsu in the first place much of what Ryuko could do with it was hard to distinguish from what she could already do as a medical ninja.  She wasn’t one the village’s best in that regard for nothing.   If she displayed a miracle such as self regeneration then he’d just claim it was something she could do because of being a medic.

The worst part was until she had full perfect sycronization with Rafaela which would only come after proving herself each use of the power would wear away at the barrier between their souls.  Said barrier was a limited resource because unlike the seal on a normal Jinjuriki she had no way to reinforce it and repair some of the damage.   Using the power fivialiously simply wasn’t an option.

She was still thinking about what to do when Mr. Deero entered the room. Right away she could tell something was significant about him. The mask might have hid his face but it was like putting glasses on Superman to disguise him as Clark kent.  Someone really smart like her would be able to see thought to a degree.  At least enough to suspect something was up anyway.

From the way the man moved to his built. Everything about him was so formilarly it was like being hit by a heavy dose of nostalgia all at once.  A longing for a simpler time when things were easier and she didn’t have so much responsibility on her shoulders.  If she was offered a chance to go back and do everything all over again from scratch would she take it?

The minute the mask man opened his mouth and spoke it was like a bombshell had gone off in the room.  That was a voice Ryuko knew well. A Voice she could never forget.   She hadn’t spoken to the man much during his lifetime but she’d certainly been at some of his address when he’d been speaking to the country at large.   He was a famous figure after all, she literally owned action figures of him, one of which she’d even gotten signed.   There was no way she wouldn’t recognize who this was.

“What Sorcery is this!” Exclaimed Oda as he shot up from his chair.  Part of him wondered if Shimiko had slipped something into his drink but the more rational part wondered why she’d even bother going to the trouble of trying to trick him.  It’d be far easier to just kill him and take over   Their was no way this was some simple transformation technique, Megumi for all her faults would see thought one of those in an instant and she was more then capable enough to capture the average ninja stupid enough to try such a stunt.

“How in Hakkin’s name are you even alive!!!”   breathed Megumin in excitement. Right now she felt like she was living out an episode of her favorite soap opera.  With some many twists and turns that it was impossible for her to guess what was going to happen next.

“Indeed how.  Did you perform some dark ritual and use necromancy to bring him back or where you simply making a fool of me this entire time!” asked Oda his voice full of anger.  He was convinced that If Seigi had remained the Raikage the country would be twice as better off as it was now with all the extra wealth and prosperity it would bring the people and most importantly himself.

“Wait if you’re back, Lord Seigi do we even need me to become Raikage anymore?” asked Ryuko who was perhaps feeling the most confused of all.  As Ninja went he was legendary. How could she even hope to compare to a figure like him?

[8]

Oda's inability to believe Ryuko was beginning to irritate Shimiko. She didn't even believe in Hakkinism per se but she was willing to accept that there was some power within the religion, just as how any objective shinobi could tell there was power within Jashinism. He was blinded by his own biases and that bothered Shimiko. She was a fanatic for her own faith but she managed to still do her job properly, yet this so-called "National Leader" couldn't do the same. When he praised her fighting prowess and mentioned that he would have supported her as Raikage, she gave him a look of surprise. She guessed that he was merely buttering her up much like she had done to him just a few moments prior. He must be really desperate to scuttle Ryuko's agenda if he's willing to say that out loud Shimiko suspected both he and his camp wanted to get rid of the Orthodoxy. There was no way he could be sincere about having the Church's Champion serve as the chief military commander for all of Lightning Country.

When he mentioned Akihiro Uchiha and the Mizukage, Shimiko's look of surprise turned to an expression of anger. He was insistent on trying to make them feel inadequate. If he continued down this path, she wouldn't be able to control her temper. He was spitting facts but that didn't make them sting any less. Akihiro Uchiha was widely considered to be one of the strongest intelligence operatives in the world. After he had saved the Twins during the Chuunin Exam, she had taken a liking to him. That and his assault on Nozomi had won him her support. However, the fact that he couldn't take down the World Tournament Champion meant that she was indeed their equal perhaps even greater. It was difficult to say how they ranked against one another, but in comparison to the shinobi world, the three of them stood alone. Given Ryuko's rapid rise though, she was likely to join their ranks in short order.

"If it was Ryuko and I that had faced her....she wouldn't have survived" Shimiko replied coldly.

She conveniently left out the fact that when they had last spoken of Nozomi, Ryuko had shown a shocking level of concern and affection for the Missing Nin. She had asked Shimiko to stand aside so that she could face Nozomi in the Final Round and convince her to turn away from the path of evil. Shimiko had been willing to give them a chance but that was all over now. Nozomi was her enemy. She wasn't sure if Ryuko felt the same but there was no reason for the Daimyou to know that.

She knew he was trying to get under her skin but rather than act violently, she merely grew more confident that her plan would work. She had called for Seigi just as she had planned. The best way to obliterate the Daimyou's impudence was to shock him to his very core. The mental humiliation would be far more satisfying than just slitting his throat. When Shimiko had poured the bourbon in anticipation of Seigi's arrival, she had expected to offend Ryuko's fellow Vestal. When Megumi starting cheesing as Shimiko poured, the woman began to wonder what was wrong with her. The Priestess downed the drink and appeared to be unbothered by its strong taste. It was as if she had always been a hard drinker.

Shimiko expected the little girl to be absolutely sloshed from the tiniest of sips but she was holding it together. These Hakkinists sure are a strange lot... The way Megumi thanked her for the drink reminded her of Ryuko when they had first met. Back then, the girl was innocent and eager to please. She was naive and though she had an impenetrable sense of justice, she wasn't exactly what you could call "battle hardened." Since then, she had matured quite a bit. She still retained some of her playfulness, but she now approached people with a greater aura of confidence and seriousness. Megumi was like a snapshot of Ryuko before this development. At first Shimiko had disliked the girl, but the realization of their similarities made Megumi's gratitude very endearing. Shimiko gave a genuine smile and said:

"Don't mention it"

What had originally been an attempt to slight the Priestess had actually raised Shimiko's esteem of the girl. Shimiko didn't have time to dwell on the subject as Baku soon arrived. He entered the apartment and looked at everyone in the room with his lone good eye. Shimiko gave him a knowing smirk and a nod. She had long dreamed of this moment. When he removed his mask, all hell broke loose.

He would stand beside her, an outward display of the loyalty that was shared between them. Regardless of space and time, they were still brother and sister. Now the Daimyou would have to eat his words as he watched Kumo's military might exponentially increase before his very eyes. Oda leapt out of his chair for the second time since the meeting had begun and Megumi had blurted out her own shock. Shimiko's knowing grin was plastered on her face for both Ryuko and Seigi to see. He accused Shimiko of performing black magic which was rather ironic. The Church experimented with such powers but that simply wasn't the case here. Granted, the truth was still stranger than the cover story that they had weaved.

She had expected Ryuko's remark. Seigi's return would pretty much nullify the need for her to serve as Raikage. Of course, things weren't that simple but that would need to be discussed later. She held up a hand and reacted calmly to the surprise that had been expressed by all.

"Lord Inazuma I can assure you that there is no sorcery at play here. No tricks, No techniques, No mad science. What you are witnessing is one of the most sophisticated intelligence operations in Lightning Country history. I myself was unaware of Operation Baku until fairly recently in my tenure as ANBU Captain. Those involved had been sworn to secrecy via Fuuinjutsu and I pretty much had to uncover this myself.....I could go into detail but I think its best I let my brother explain. This was his plan after all."

Shimiko turned to Ryuko. She didn't say anything but she gave her sister a look. It was a micro-expression that lasted less than a milisecond. It was a feat of her godlike coordination and she knew for a fact that Oda and Megumi would be unable to catch it. This was especially the case since all of their attention would be on the apparently resurrected Second Raikage. If Ryuko managed to catch the micro-expression, she'd know that her question would be answered in time. For now, Shimiko was content to let Seigi do the talking.

As expected, the room was in chaos at his arrival.

Oda seemed to be in shock, only to quickly throw insults at Shimiko, questioning her if this was some kind of magic or if she was making a fool of him. Seigi would remember his reaction. If it hadn't been the Daimyo of the Lightning who had spoken, Seigi might have commented on it, but for now, he would wait. However, he was taken off guard by Ryuko's question of if she needed to be Kage now that he was back, and Seigi was silent for a moment as he thought. He had previously been unaware of the situation in the room before he had entered, and news of Ryuko becoming Kage was a development he hadn't seen coming yet.

"Yes." Seigi would tell her first, crossing his arms. "But first, let me explain."
Seigi would inhale, gathering his thoughts.
"Six years ago, I faked my death to weed out the traitors in my midst." He would explain, careful with how he spoke. "I received intel that there was a plot to assassinate me, so I did the job for them. I knew they wouldn't reveal themselves until they had a foolproof plan, but if their guard were let down, it would be easier to identify who the traitors actually were."
Seigi was almost impressed with himself at how natural everything sounded.
"After eliminating the threats I found, I decided it was in the village's best interest for me to remain dead. There were other threats to Kumogakure outside of our walls that we couldn't touch without starting wars, such as the Blood Prison." He would say, now getting to reality. "I was in an undercover operation when the Blood Prison was destroyed. I was subjected to torture and experimentation and saw beings with abilities that you would only dream of." His tone would begin to shift, more somber, his words slower, more concise. He would reach up to his eyepatch over his right eye, revealing it for a moment before letting the eyepatch back down.

"This is why I believe we need Ryuko as Kage now more than ever." He would add, tying her into the conversation. He would turn towards her, nodding. "Shimiko has told me of your strength and I've heard stories of you. I believe you to be the leader we need right now, not me, and instead," Seigi would bow to Ryuko properly this time, a much more formal version of his lazy bow from before,

"I would like to be reinstated as a Jonin. I believe if I'm out there fighting with everyone else, it will be the best utilization of my skills and would raise morale."

Ryuko felt like the very world around her froze as Shimiko said that together the two of them could have taken out Nozomi with an air of absolute certainty.   It was like the chillness of her voice was being transmitted directly on a spiritual level.   What had happened while Ryuko had been asleep for her to get so chilly towards the kiri missing ninja?  

Not that Shimiko had liked her in the first place but she’d had nowhere near this level of animosity previously.  Before it had been like taking her down was just crossing someone off the long long bingo book list. Now it seemed to be much more personal, like Shimiko actively wanted to hunt the other woman down rather than merely passively taking a potshot if the opportunity arose.

Ryuko wanted to shout and refute that statement from the bottom of her soul but as she tried to mouth her mouth she found that she couldn’t find the right words to say.   Admitting her real position here would be a grave tactical error giving Oda all the proof he needed that she wasn’t fit to be Raikage and yet she felt sick at herself for feeling the need to hide her feelings once more.  

Hadn’t she long ago resolved to be straight with the world about how she wasn’t straight?  To not be able to bare her feelings, to not be able to shout them made her feel sick with herself.   They were three simple words and yet here she was putting something else above saying them.   She didn’t even want more political power then she already had and yet here she was casting off her pride to acquire it.    She supposed that was fitting for someone who was going to become one of the five kages but it made her feel lousy as a human being.

Was it the right decision?  Just how much was she willing to sacrifice for the sake of the country that she was going to be running?   The idea that she might end up having to kill the person she was deeply in love with her own hands was enough that she was sure she would have thrown up if Rafaela hadn’t temporarily taken over her body for her in order to maintain her stoic image as the chaos of Seigi returning erupted around them.

Fundamentally the premise that her presence would have been enough to tip the scales in their favor if it was her and Shimiko instead of Akihirio and the Mizukage was flawed.  Even assuming that Ryuko was willing to kill Nozomi that didn’t mean she was actually able to carry it out.   If she didn’t at least master the full extent of Rafaela’s power then she would be a nuisance to Nozomi at best, an impediment to Shimiko during the fight at the worst.

Right now she just didn’t bring enough to the table in her base form to be much help against another shinobi of a similar skill level who had the full power of a bijuu to back her up.  Knowing that would have been enough to shake her confidence before but not anymore.  Not when she was so close to reaching greater heights.

It almost felt like fate was conspiring for her to confront Nozomi and fight to the death, but if that was the case then all she had to do was overturn destiny itself.  To become the type of hero that could take the scales of despair that would normally force her to make a terrible choice and shatter them to find a new path.

Meanwhile Oda was seething.  He wanted to call bullshit to the idea that Seigi would need to go to such elaborate lengths to undercover an assasination plot within his own walls.  It was a given that outsiders would want him dead but who in this country would have  been stupid enough to try and remove it’s mightest warrior?  They had far more to lose then to gain in the bargain

What was starting a war or two if you knew you could win them with minimal losses? You didn’t get to become a super power like Oda had long dreamed about without them.  Heck he’d run a few himself before the hidden village had been formed just over a couple decades ago.  But now his dream of an empire with one of his descendants at the helm was crumbling to ash before his very eyes.   With Seigi backing Ryuko he had no hope of overturning the outcome.  He’d be lucky to escape the day with his neck intact.

“At least tell me this… Why couldn’t  you have at least told me? From the very start I supported your candidacy to become the second Raikage because I believed you would bring our country untold glory.   You know damn well that I had no part of some conspiracy against you.” said the Daiymo desperately,  a man who had been one of Segi’s biggest supporters in his first life.

Ryuko however was having none of it.  Why Seigi hadn’t told them was immaterial.  The only thing that mattered now was moving forward. She had to do everything in her power to bend reality to the way she wanted it to be so she could make her vision of a happier future for herself and her country come true.

“Reinstate you?  I’d have to be a fool to consider otherwise. Consider it done.”  Ryuko said warmly as a smile began to bloom on her face.   Here was one of the strongest ninja in history asking to be on her team under her command.  His loyalty was beyond reproach and she couldn’t think of a single reason why on Hakkin’s name she’d ever want to say no.

To make a game analogy it was as if she was being offered an extra queen piece in chess.   Sure it was stacking the odds in her favor and making the match more lopsided but since she was a ninja she didn’t give a rats ass about fighting fair during a serious match to begin with.

“You asked me to demonstrate my conviction earlier MR. Oda.” She said, speaking to him as if he was no longer a Lord anymore to make a point. “Very well then you leave me with little choice.  Consider yourself overthrown.   As of this moment I’m in charge of this country. A country I shall take along with the land of frost and reform into a new kingdom.” she declared boldly leaving both the Daiymo and the Vastal serving him aghast for different reasons.

“Fine you win, Kill me if you must, but what will happen to my family?” Asked Oda, resigning himself to his fate.  His oldest most capable son had died in a war ages ago and his younger sons were far too foolish to leave the country to.   He would have retired long ago but he had held onto power so long in an attempt to pass it on to one of his precious grandchildren when they came of age.

He had lived a long and fulfilling life. If the price for the transition of power was his head then he was willing to pay if Ryuko  truly would make the country a better place.  He simply didn’t want his descendants to pay for his sins.  He knew he was asking for a lot since keeping them alive was risking the spark of a civil war rising in the future but even so he asked anyway because at this point what did he have to lose.

Megumi was lost at sea for another reason. If there was no Daimyo then who would she serve as a Vestal?  Ryuko turned her warm smile on the girl to silently reassure her that their would be a place for her in the Priestess's administration.   There were always 3 vestal and that tradition would remain.  She would simply be serving a new master even if it was a queen instead of a feudal lord.  

“My reformation is not without cause.  The Land of lightning is a country with much rot set into the very beams that form the finest institutions.  Tis many the number of drug lords and slavers my men have brought in recently.    This includes some with direct ties to yourself such as your second cousin  Yoshi Takamoon who is responsible for such hideous crimes I shall not dine to speak of them in full here.” said Ryuko as she took out a scroll from her pouch and plopped it down onto the table.

It was just a copy but it was clear from a glance even without unsealing it that contained a literal mountain of evidence that she had collected on Yoshi’s crimes.  Crimes that if she spoke them now would likely sent Shimiko into a violent rampage since some of them directly involved the twins she’d adopted.

“You were a good man once upon a time Oda.  When did you stop looking away from the truth?” she asked him.  He didn’t have a hand in the crimes themselves, not directly but he was complicit in them in that he could have brought a stop to them long ago if he hadn’t been sheltering Yoshi from the law.  Investigating and taking him down had not been easy and she’d had to go outside the legal books to get it done.  If he'd been just a tiny bit more upstanding she would never had felt the need to seize his throne.

“In recognition of your services over the years I ask that you retire.  You have a residence in the idyllic countryside where you can remain and live out the rest of your days in peace.  As for your family, the ones that were not involved in these crime syndicates will be spared persecution and remain nobility as for the rest….” she drew her thumb across her neck indicating the fate of those who had turned to a life of crime despite already having a life of luxury that most could only dream of.

“We have a Chinoki clan district,  a Yokai district and even an Mikiri  distinct. Don’t you think it’s high time  we added an Inazuma district?” she asked him, causing the man's eyes to widen once more.  Not only was she offering him mercy but she was offering his family a path of honor and prestige forward, it was frankly more than they deserved after the amount of suffering and pain that a select few among them had caused.

“Thank you my queen.” He replied immediately taking a knee before her, all thoughts of opposition having been driving out of his mind.  Being addressed as such only brought a silent sigh to Ryuko’s lips. In her experience anyone who wanted to become a sovereign should immediately be barred from becoming one.  Her intentions were pure but she knew well what the path to hell was paved with.

“Any objections?” She asked, looking first at Shimiko then Seigi in the eyes.  They had supported her in becoming the next Raikage but  this had gone so far beyond the scope of just being the military commander.  Would they really be ok with her going and making herself royalty as well?

[9]

Seigi gave them the cover story that they had devised. Explaining that the man standing before them was a Seigi from another universe was not likely to go over well. It was fantastical, even for the world of shinobi to be visited by a doppelganger from another dimension. Worse yet, it'd lose its emotional punch. This narrative was far more poetic than the truth. The valiant Raikage of old returning to give the new Queen his blessing and to serve in her army. It was something straight out of a best selling novel. The effect it had on the Daimyou was proof enough that they had made the right decision. Once Seigi was done telling his story, he gave Ryuko his blessing. She smiled at that. Ryuko might have missed her glance from earlier but what was most important was that she understood that Seigi stood behind her. There'd be no infighting among her family over something as petty as political rulership.

As Oda fumed over the new revelation, Shimiko did her best to hold in a laugh. The man was so angry and impotent that she wanted to bop him on the head to see if he'd turn as red as a Chinoike Cherry. When he started asking Seigi why this had been kept from him, she didn't even try to hide her amusement. She burst out laughing. Her hand made its way under her chin as she mimicked the exhalation Ryuko had shown at their first Dinner Party.

"Ohohohohoho!" Shimiko put a hand on her stomach and gave herself a moment. Once she had collected her wits, she looked Oda in the eye and said: "You're not nearly important enough to know something like that. My predecessor in ANBU didn't know. I didn't even know until recently and he's my brother. You're out of your mind if you think you'd be told anything. You've grossly overestimated your importance and influence...especially when it comes to matters affecting the military."

Shimiko enjoyed kicking him while he was down. Unlike Ryuko, she had little regard for political niceties and noble titles. She respected them because it was necessary, not because she saw any intrinsic value in them. She was from a military family and she looked at the world through a military lens. The Inazuma were a strong clan but Oda was not representative of that strength. He was a politician and that meant he was practically a second-class leader. Bringing Seigi into the mix had achieved the desired affect. He had lost. There was no coming back from this. Before Seigi's re-appearance, Oda might have tried to marshall all of his economic, political, and even military forces to oppose the birth of a new Kingdom. By himself he was weak and easily assassinated but his allies could still prove troublesome. The world was on the brink of War and civil unrest would cripple Kumo. The Jashinist uprising had occurred over the course of a single day and it had inflicted lasting damage on the nation. Damage that had taken months to fix. A full blow civil war would leave the country defenseless. It was why they needed to take down Oda politically and not just kill him. However as he spoke, Shimiko could already tell that the fight had left his spirit. He could not oppose such a popular and well regarded Raikage, one that he himself had championed. It was over.

Shimiko thought she had delivered the coup de grace but not long after she had chastized him, Ryuko came in for the final kill. She announced that he was relieved of his position as Daimyou. She even called him "Mr." as a final insult. Shimiko had to once more keep from smiling or laughing. Ryuko was speaking now and her words were not to be taken lightly. Oda was finished and she would now be both the supreme military commander as well as the political sovereign. Shimiko had no problem with this. The Daimyou had been a trifling formality and with Seigi backing her as well as several of the most powerful institutions (both religious and military), she'd have no problem assuming full command of the nation.

Oda inquired after his family and for a moment Shimiko felt bad for them. He might very well die if Ryuko ordered it. That would leave his children orphans. Worse yet, they'd have a rival claim to Ryuko's throne and that combined with the pain of vengeance would drive them to fight. It was possible that the entire bloodline would need to be wiped out. That would anger the Inazuma and they'd be back at square one. Taking down one man was easy, but taking down a founding clan of Kumo was another matter altogether. Shimiko had no qualms about killing children. She cared for her own family and she cared for the children of Kumo in general, but she was more than happy to sacrifice individuals for the greater good. She had murdered homeless orphans in Jashin's name and so she thought nothing of committing the same act to save her country.

Fortunately, Ryuko was far more merciful and politically astute than Shimiko. She offered him a full pardon. Despite him overlooking the criminal activities of his kin, he'd be shown mercy. Yoshi Takamoon was a menace to the peace and security of the people. He was a human trafficker and Shimiko detested human trafficking. Her first mission as a genin was to destroy such a ring. She had saved the Twins from a similar life of bondage. The very idea that such corruption could extend to the highest levels of her government was an anethma to her. She was well aware that there was a veil of prestige that was difficult to penetrate even for ANBU. They could gather information but acting on it was difficult. Assassinating people close to the Daimyou without his blessing was a tricky situation and not a decision she was authorized to make unilaterally. Many a investigation had gone cold once it was known that the ringleaders were too well connected to prosecute or assassinate. Shimiko had stopped looking into those matters directly as the pain was far too great for her to bear. She had focused her efforts on national security and foreign relations, areas that gave her more room to act freely. If she knew the dirty details of what Yoshi was up to and how Oda had protected him, Ryuko would not have been able to save him from Shimiko's wrath.

She remained silent as Ryuko offered him generous terms. He'd keep his life, his family would be safe, their fortune and prestige unmolested, and the Inazuma would be granted their own Clan District. The clan's position was a curious thing. For centuries they had governed the Lightning Country and they were considered "First Among Equals" when it came to the founding clans of Kumo. Shimiko herself was half-Inazuma on her father's side. She had been raised a Chinoike but she never lost the respect she had for the Storm Clan. It was often speculated that the Inazuma did not wish for a Clan District as the evidence of their wealth and power was plain for all to see. A Clan District would just be rubbing it in everyone's faces, thus they were magnanimous in never asking for one. However, since the founding of Kumo, their power had declined precipitously. Lei's assault on Kiri did not help their standing either. It was now looking like the Inazuma might actually become pariahs in the new political structure. The fall of Oda would hasten that narrative and breed discord. Giving them a Clan District was a good way to let them know that they were still a noble clan.

It was a brilliant political move. Shimiko had helped but she could only take so much credit. Ryuko had acquired the reins of power without harming a hair on his head and without making the Inazuma an enemy. She truly was the right woman for the job. Shimiko turned to give Oda a death glare. He'd do well to take his pardon and run. If she ever caught wind of him protecting his pedophile family members, he would not be able to hid behind the title of Daimyou. According to Ryuko, the lives of Yoshi and his ilk were forfeit. Shimiko would be quick to put them down once given the greenlight. If he wanted to follow them then it'd be his funeral. Moved by Ryuko's sweet mercy, Oda bent the knee.

Ryuko looked at Shimiko and her brother to see if they were okay with this.

"None Your Majesty" she said with a gracious smile.

Look how far you've come....who would have thought that the little girl I sparred with in Kotari Park would rise to become Queen of the Lightning Country.

She would need to speak to Mora about this development but she doubted the woman would move against Ryuko. She knew that Mora had worked with the Church of Hakkin in the past. Ryuko had no plans to disturb the Orthodoxy and so while Mora was ambitious she would not make any moves against the Crown. She was giving them the Land of Hot Springs and unlike Nariko she wasn't an atheist. If their additional demands were acceded to then it was likely the Church would be one of Ryuko's strongest supporters. Shimiko was sure that Seigi was onboard as well. He wanted to be a Jounin again and she had granted that request. He could do much more for the village's interests as an operative than he could as Kage. Between the three of them, the nations of the world would do well to tread lightly.

There was mixed signals from the room from Seigi's story, which was something he had been anticipating. Oda, of everyone, seemed to be the most infuriated at his story, posing a question to Seigi; why hadn't he said anything to him? Frankly, Seigi didn't have an answer. His mouth opened slightly, as if he were going to speak, but before he could, Ryuko would speak instead, reinstating him and overthrowing Oda in the same breath, almost in cadence with Seigi's own heartbeat. Ryuko seemed confident in him, and whether she believed his story or not, was irrelevant. They both wanted the same thing, and Seigi could sense that from her presence alone. From his experience with previous kage, their intentions were always unknown to him. Kira, the mastermind that he was, layered plans on top of plans to keep his secrets. Tetsuo simply championed the village's issues by himself, which only led to his demise. However, when Ryuko spoke, Seigi could feel her words within himself. Shimiko had spoken very highly of her and he understood why.

Ryuko brought up Oda's crimes, which Seigi was unaware of, and would be a good excuse in the future for why he could deny telling Oda, knowing he could twist it to his own use. For a moment, he wonder if Oda knew anything about the deeper conspiracy Seigi and Shimiko had begun to uncover on one of their missions just over a year ago, but the thought was fleeting and he knew now wasn't the time. Instead, he would bide his time and bite his tongue, listening as Ryuko pardoned him and even offered the Inazuma their own clan district, a prestigious right in it's own and more than Oda deserved. When posed the question of objections, Seigi had none. He would simply shake his head.

"No objections." Seigi would speak, crossing his arms once again.

The moment the words your majesty came out of Shimiko’s mouth the priestess felt a strong urge to facepalm which she had to fight hard to resist. She couldn’t show signs of weakness here, not in front of Oda at least. The Honey Badger was her closest friend hearing that level of formality from her just feel wrong.

It was ironic how much of her life she’d spent trying to get people to not trat her as anything special just because she was a member of the nobility and to judge her by her own merits and yet now she was doing something that would make her seem even more elite and privileges in most people's eyes. She’d taken any chance that remained of ever being seen as just a normal girl and thrown it into the trash herself.


It wasn’t that she had missed Shimiko’s signal earlier either. She just had known when it was the most effective time to play her cards. She wasn’t stupid, it was pretty easy to guess that at least some of Seigi’s story was just a cover for the truth but she also knew the real deal when she saw it. This was no mere body double or someone using the Transformation technique. She would have seen though that in an instant just from the differences in the way they moved. Only the real Seigi could give off that air of confidence and swagger.

Frankly while she wouldn’t mind hearing the real details Ryuko didn’t really care why Seigi was back. She just felt blessed to be in his presence again as he had always been someone she looked up to and admired. Shimiko was her sworn sister and as such had her complete and explicit trust and naturally some of that trust extended to her direct family as well.

“Very well then. I suppose everything is settled so I shall be taking my leave for today. Please let me know what you need me to do for the coronation ceremony and I swear to complete it with the utmost precision.” said Oda as he gave the brother and sister duo one last glare before turning with a dramatic flair of his overcoat and walking out of the room. Megumi gave Shimiko a light bow and prepared to follow after him only to be stopped when Ryuko grabbed her fellow Vestal’s shoulder.

“You’re my assistant now. Make sure to keep a close eye on him.” She commanded. She knew better than to fully trust Oda even after he’d sworn his allegiance. Until he officially abdicated the throne he still had the potential to stir up trouble. The process to do that wasn’t one that could be done overnight but once it was complete it could not be taken back. Not that he couldn’t still cause problems though his children if he really wished too later but somehow she knew he’d never put them at risk like that.

The only real reason she’d decided to spare him was because he was more useful alive then dead. A peaceful transition of power would be much more stable for the country in the long run then seizing it. Having him crown her would send a powerful statement about the legitimacy of her rule.

“Leave it to me Ryuko” Megumi smiled brightened by about 200% at being entrusted with such an important mission. They were so close as Sempai and Kohai that she couldn’t bring herself to be formal with the older priestess if she tried. Turning her grin which almost seemed to shine like the sun on Shimiko, the younger priestess gave the girl a polite bow. “Thank you for the threat Shi-chan, I’ll be sure to return the favor!” She declared before barreling out of the room at high speed to catch up to Oda before he reached the elevator and left her behind.

Once they were out of the room Ryuko practically collapsed back into her chair and let out a deep sigh. The entire meeting from start to finish had been nerve racking. She knew she was going to have to talk to Oda sooner or later but that had come much faster than expected and she’d also had to go much further then she would have liked to accomplish her goals.

“Thank the gods that’s over with.” she exclaimed, feeling suddenly exhausted. If she didn’t have family around that she could be herself around instead she didn’t know what she’d do. They might not be related by blood but sometimes it was more about the family that you’d made for yourself then the ones you were born with. She was much closer to Shimiko then her own biological parents or any of her older siblings.

She was a Rose but she was practically estranged from them having gone into the church rather than being used as a pawn for a political marriage. Figuring how they would fit in to things now that she was going to be royalty made her head hurt. She’d have to make sure she had it down on paper on the line of succession to the throne that they weren’t included.

As far as nobility went her Father was a decent man that actually looked after the people on the land he ran instead of simply looking down on them and using them but he couldn’t be trusted with something on the scale as an entire country. She could leave the military to Shimiko if something ever happened to her which came as a relief but the fact that she didn’t have a child or proper successor of some kind was going to become an issue sooner rather than later given what they were up against.

“Ok, before I get into the sort of help I need to get control of my power is there anything you guys need besides the reinstatement? Just to check but I assume that also means you’re fine being seen in public again correct?” she asked Seigi just to be sure. Having him come back from the dead for all the nation to see would be a massive pr stunt that would boost morale to the moon and back. Not playing it seemed like a massive waste but she wanted to be sure to respect his wishes on the subject.

Reaching into her pouch she drew out a neatly folded piece of paper and then placed it on the table unfurling it to reveal a highly detailed picture of her god Hakkin, the platinum dragon swimming in the sea of stars.


“Tis not Rafaela I must overcome to gain mastery but my lord himself, if only an aspect of him. Rafaela tells me it will be comparable to facing a bijuu and every bit as deadly. To make matters worse I won’t have access to any of the abilities she grants me for this test except for the one I developed for myself. Are you absolutely sure you still wish to join me?” said Ryuko as she gazed at her sister directly in the eyes trying to convey just how serious this battle would be.

As much as she was trying to prepare based on what she knew she could only do so much to mitigate the risk of what very much was going to be life or death battle. A battle she had no choice but to engage in if she was going to unlock her full unfettered potential.

“The test will be in another dimension and I can only bring up to three other people with me. Just enough to form a full squad. Given the location once it starts escaping or gathering reinforcements will be…. Problematic.” explained the Priestess so that everyone present would know just what the heck she was getting into.

She was lucky that she had some people with very rare abilities that made it so things that wouldn’t normally be possible for this battle were possible. Granted even that was a risk since it would depend on how the pocket dimension itself worked and if it followed the same physics they were used to. Given she had been told that the rest of her abilities other than what Rafaela could grant her would still work she had to assume that most of the rules were the same at least.

“I just woke up the other day and am still in the process of getting caught up on who can do what. Shi-chan I need recommendations on who to take with me. “ asked Ryuko who was still feeling a little lost in this strange new world she’d come back to. So much had changed in the 2 years that she’d been gone that it was a wonder she’d managed to catch up as much as she already had.

[10]

Shimiko had to keep from laughing. While Ryuko didn't visibly react she could probably guess that her friend was not fond of being treated like a bonafide royal by her Nakama. Shimiko would only give a smug grin in reply to Oda's glare. He had been thoroughly beaten and as far as she was concerned, he would forever be a non-factor. The Grandmistress of Bukijutsu could turn her attention to bigger game. Shimiko smiled and gave a polite wave to the Vestal as she left. The fact that she'd now be serving Ryuko was good news. The girl had a charm to her and although she was an apostate, the Chinoike had taken a bit of a liking to her.

"Anytime Megumi. Goodbye!" she said sweetly.

Shimiko watched as Ryuko was finally glad to be rid of the Daimyou. The hardest part wasn't always fighting. Sometimes politics could take a lot out of you. It was part of the reason why Shimiko never vigorously pursued the job of Kage. The title was nice but it often required you to solve problems that couldn't be fixed with a Sai. She asked Seigi whether he was okay being seen in public again. Shimiko would let him answer. They had talked about this before but if he had second thoughts or reservations, he was more than free to voice them. Shimiko wasn't in need of much although she'd probably need to top up her own gear in preparation for the fight.

"I might need some upgrades here and there....nothing too major. I've gotten a recent power boost myself so I should be okay to go whenever you're ready Ryu-chan" she dropped the titled now that they were alone. Ryuko then took out a piece of paper and displayed a rather impressive looking dragon. It was the aspect of Hakkin that they'd be fighting. Shimiko examined the dragon. She knew Honiko liked to ride the creatures but she herself had never interacted with one. This would be her first fight with such a serpent.

In a serious tone she looked her friend in the eye and said: "I've never been more sure Ryuko. I wasn't there for you in the Valley.....something bad could have happened and I wasn't there to fight alongside you. This time, I got your back. I'm all the way in. As for recommendations...Seid's progress has been irreproachable. If you'd like I could requisition him for the battle" Seid Ōtsutsuki was her best man in the ANBU and if this fight was as difficult as Ryuko made it seem then they'd want another ace in their sleeve. She wanted to recommend her brother but truthfully she was a bit worried about that. Unlike Seid and Shimiko, he didn't exactly possess a unique ability. She looked up at him. "Normally, I'd recommend you Seigi but you're still not at 100% yet. This will be an extremely dangerous mission and I want you here in Kumo watching over things during the fight. The village's strongest will be in another dimension fighting Hakkin so I'm going to need you to look after things"

This left a third person to recommend. Shimiko wasn't sure if there was another ninja on their level that could compete against this dragon. There was Nariko but from what Shimiko knew, the Raikage no longer had her Tailed Beast to rely on.

As Oda left and Ryuko collaped into her chair, Seigi would also let out a sigh, his feet taking him to the kitchen area Shimiko had retrieved their drinks from. Opening a small cupboard, Seigi would produce a small bottle of liquid, pouring himself a glass, dropping two large ice cubes from the frozen storage, and producing a bitter looking face once tasted, but would down half the glass in a single gulp.

"He stresses me out." Seigi would say, moving to take another drink, but not before interrupted by Ryuko speaking, asking if they needed anything else other than reinstatement. Seigi would shake his head, moving back towards the women.
"Nothing here. I have everything I need for the moment." Seigi would reply to her. It was after this, however, that Seigi's interest was piqued by Ryuko's newest challenge, which was fighting an aspect of her god itself, only named 'Hakkin' once Shimiko told him, but also refused to let him in on the fight. He was silent for a moment as she told him she wanted him here, back at the village watching things, but he couldn't help but frown.

"I understand. I'll be back on this side of things in case things go south." He would say, nodding to Shimiko, understanding an order when he heard one. "But if you need my help, I'll be there." He refrained from speaking out about his past experience with these kinds of fights. When he had been the Jinchuuriki for Chomei, he had done his own fight twice, losing the first time but triumphant the second. He knew the strength the manifestations inside one's mind could possess, but he couldn't reveal his knowledge to Ryuko without blowing his cover. He would wait, for now, biting his tongue and biding his time.

Hearing even Seigi admit that dealing with Oda was stressful outlined just how difficult the man was to deal with. No wonder the former Raikage had neglected to inform the daimyo about what was going on with the undercover operation. Oda was a man who had the kind of personality that made it so that most didn’t want to brother dealing with him unless it was absolutely necessary.

“Speaking of upgrades I need to make more than a few myself so it might be a bit before I’m ready.” admitted Ryuko. The top of the line armor she had in mind to make for herself took time and her weapon load out was more than a little lacking for the job at hand. Even her best weapon, a relic from her church known as the Hakkin’s fang, just barely met the minimum requirements for fighting something as strong as a bijuu. Taking out her batons that Shimiko had made for her she placed them on the table. As B-class weapons they simply weren’t up to snuff anymore.

“Do you think you could tune these up to a higher level?” asked Ryuko who was feeling guilty for even asking. Compared to what the average chunin could get ahold of they were still very high quality and she felt like she was being selfish asking for something more. If it wasn’t for the sheer necessity of the situation she wasn't sure she could have worked up the nerve.

“Would you like me to take a look at your armor and see what I can do?” she asked in turn. She’d made Shimiko’s set herself and while it had been modified and added onto over the years she knew best out of anyone that it still had room for improvement.

She would have liked to be able to do Seigi’s armor for him as well but the truth was she only had time to do armor smithing as a side project and even then just barely enough for two to three people including herself. With how full her docket was already it would be a good long while before she’d have time to make a set for him. He’d be better off looking elsewhere like to a professional full time armor crafter.

“The valley huh… feels like that was a lifetime or two ago already.” said Ryuko wistfully, her voice full of nostalgia. That was the moment her life had changed. Honiko had set a benchmark of power she had strived ever sense to surpass. She’d gone so far as looking into how to become a jinchuriki herself in order to do it thinking the best way to fight fire was with fire not even knowing that she had other options at hand.

It was also the moment she had met Nozomi and inexplicably fallen in love. She’d felt like there was a hole in her life ever sense. A void that could never be filled as long as her beloved wasn’t by her side. A difficult proposition considering one was soon to be a queen and the other an international wanted criminal. She could either give up her political power and her fortune and run away or find a way to remove Nozomi from the bingo books.

“I wish we could take Natsuru with us. Make it a Thundercats team mission for old time’s sake.” Ryuko lamented with a sigh. Some days it felt like her squad was cursed, never able to be around each other for long. One of them always seemed to be away or worse in the hospital. Frankly she couldn't even remember the last time they had all been together for longer than five minutes before having to go their separate ways again.

“Seid huh. He might just be the best man for the job. Please ask him if he's willing to join us” said Ryuko and meaning it with all seriousness. She’d gone to take a look at her former students file and the version on hand at the administration office had been heavily redacted. Less than a handful of people had the security clearance to enter the secret vault where the uncensored version was kept and once Ryuko had seen it she had understood why they were trying so hard to keep the extent of his power under wraps.

He was an honest to Hakkin Ōtsutsuki a direct descendant of the sage himself and the strongest clan that she knew of. His power in particular to transverse dimensions had so many applications that it was mind boggling. Forget combat his sheer potential to help advance science for the entire human race was off the scale. Normally the dimension they were going to be fighting in had no way to leave except for winning the fight with Hakkin but Seid was the one person who might be able accomplish that.

“No offense but I won’t want to take you with us regardless si… Seigi.” said Ryuko. She’d almost called him sir out of reflex. The last time she’d seen him he’d been an authority figure for her and she was still adjusting to seeing him as something else. Not that her respect for him had dimensioned any despite the change in their respective positions.

“Simply put that would be putting too many eggs in one basket. As someone once said hope for the best, plan for the worse. You’re the best insurance we could possibly ask for to take care of the village in case something goes wrong and we don’t make it back.” said the priestess as she explained her reasoning for excluding him from participating in the mission to fight Hakkin.

Losing both Shimiko and herself would be a devastating blow. She almost didn’t want to take her friend with her on that alone but at the same time Shimiko was the best backup she could possible have and it seemed even more stupid to refeuse her help when she knew they had a better chance at victory working together then working apart.

“That leaves one spot left. I’d like to exclude Nariko for the same reasons as Seigi. So who else do we have on the table?” asked Ryuko. Most of the people she knew who were strong enough like Niko and Akeno weren’t in a position to help since they were also in a coma just like Natsuru. The biggest problem the village was facing now wasn’t financing but the lack of high level manpower.

“What if theoretically we looked for help outside the village? Say someone like Nozomi” suggested Ryuko floating what she knew might be a rather adverse idea. She didn’t want to owe Konoha or Kiri a favor which meant looking further aboard. She had several reason to back up why that particular missing ninja would be perfect for the job beyond just personal reasons but she needed to see Shimiko and Seigi’s reaction to bringing up that name first before she could explain why she had brought it up.

[11]